Bhubaneswar, Dec, 2: There seems to be a heavy fight for the ruling BJD ticket in the Chitrokonda assembly constituency of Malakanagiri district. The sitting BJD MLA Purna Chandra Baka, his son Mahesh Baka, the Matheli Block chairman, and niece Laxmipriya Nayak are the front runners for the party ticket in the upcoming election.
Apart from them, former BJD MLA Damburdhar Sisha, former Zilla Parishad vice-president Bainsidhar Muduli, another police officer Laxminarayan Muduli, and Zilla Parishad President Samari Tanglu are also in the race for the party ticket in the upcoming election.
This seat is reserved for Schedule Tribe. Previously, it was the stronghold of the Congress party. In 2014, first-time BJD candidate Dambur Sisa was elected from this seat. In 2019, Purna Chandra Baka, leaving the government job contested on BJD ticket and won the election against his niece, the congress candidate Laxmipriya Nayak. Later Laxmi Priya also left Congress during the last Panachyata election and joined BJD. She is now a Zilla Parishad member and also an aspirant for a BJD ticket.
In Chitrokonda, more than 7 aspirants including MLA Purna Chandra Baka, his son Mahesh, and niece Laxmi Priya are in the race for the BJD party ticket which is now the talk of the district.
