File photograph of AICC in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar speaking at Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar: Seeking to put up a good fight in 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Odisha, the Indian National Congress (INC) continues its experimentation in selecting candidates. The grand old party, which had earlier made two changes – one in Lok Sabha the other in assembly lists — on Sunday replaced five assembly nominees.
The party fielded Debasis Nayak for the Bari assembly seat. Nayak had joined the party after quitting the BJD recently.
The former minister and four-time MLA Debasis Nayak had earlier joined BJP after quitting the ruling BJD.
In Jaleswar, the Congress has now given ticket to Sudarshan Das in place of Debi Prasanna Chand.
The party fielded Akshaya Acharya from Nilagari and roped in Himanshu Chaulia in place of Bijayananda Chaulia from Athamalik.
Uma Ballav Rath has now been roped in for Puri seat in place of Sujit Mohapatra. Similarly, Sudarshan Sahoo has been named as party candidate for Athagarh assembly seat in place of Maheboob Ahemad Khan.
Earlier, the Congress had replaced Keonjhar Lok Sabha candidate Mohan Hembram with Binod Bihari Nayak. Similarly, it had changed assembly candidates in Talsara, Baliguda, Kabisuryangar, Kantamal, Jayadev and Digapahandi.
On Saturday, Congress’ candidate for Puri Lok Sabha seat, Sucharita Mohaty had returned her ticket that the party did not provide her fund for campaigning, a charge which the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader Ajaya Kumar denied as baseless.
“We had decided to replace the Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sucharita Mohan. In fact, we had written a letter to the AICC on May 2. Somehow, she came to know about it and made such a wrong statement. Party funds are provided once the campaigning is formally launched,” said Ajaya Kumar.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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