Patnaik, 17 others file nominations for Odisha assembly polls

Naveen Patnaik, among the 18 candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday for the upcoming assembly elections to take place along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Bhubaneswar:Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik was among the 18 candidates who filed theirnominations on Wednesday for the upcoming assembly elections,which will be held along with the Lok Sabha polls next month.

Patnaik, who will contest from two seats this time as BJD nominee, filed his nomination from Hinjily assembly constituency in Ganjam district, where he is seeking election for the fifth consecutive time.

The chief minister said he will submit his nomination papers for Bijepur in Bargarh district soon.

Apart from the BJD president, Planning and Skill Development Minister Usha Devi, and Housing and Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari filed nominations.

While Usha Devi filed her papers from Chikiti assembly seat, Pujari filed his nomination from the Sonepur assembly segment.

Similarly, four aspirants, including state Congress Working president Pradeep Majhi, filed nominations for the Lok Sabha polls. Majhi, a former MP, filed his papers for the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat.

With this, five candidates have so far filed nominations for Lok Sabha polls, and 26 for assembly elections, for the first and second phase slated to be held on April 11 and 18.

The last dates of nominations for the first and second phase of polling are March 25 and 26, respectively.

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