Bhubaneswar, March 24: The forthcoming 2024 elections in Odisha are gearing up for a fierce showdown for the coveted Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat.
Expectedly, the ruling BJD (Biju Janata Dal) is preparing to nominate its organizational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, fondly known as Bobby, as their contender for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. It is anticipated that he will go head-to-head against the BJP's Dharamendra Pradhan in the impending election.
Speculation suggests that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is the probable candidate from the BJP for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. Hailing from the town of Talcher in Angul, Pradhan has expressed his eagerness to participate in Odisha's electoral landscape.
BJP legislators from western Odisha have rallied behind Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency as the most secure seat for Dharmendra Pradhan.
Pradhan's political journey includes being elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2000 from the Pallahara constituency and representing the Deogarh Parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha in 2004, during the BJP's alliance with BJD. However, he faced defeat in the 2009 Assembly elections following the dissolution of the BJP-BJD alliance. Subsequently, he served two terms in the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and 2018.
In March 2023, the BJD appointed Bobby as the observer for several districts, including Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, and Keonjhar, indicating early preparations for the upcoming elections. Additionally, Rajya Sabha member Manas Ranjan Mangaraj was assigned as the party’s observer for the Sambalpur parliamentary constituency.
BJD leader and 5T Chairman V K Pandian have been actively engaging with students and the public, striving for the party’s triumph in the forthcoming election.
The battle for Sambalpur portends to be gripping, with both parties vigorously competing for victory in this pivotal Lok Sabha seat.
