A second seat for Naveen Patnaik: Why BJD chief has chosen to contest from western Odisha

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest from a second seat, Kantabanji, in the state’s western region, besides his traditional bastion of Hinjili, in the upcoming assembly elections.

Party insiders say Patnaik picking a second seat in the western part of the state – a rerun of the 2019 polls – is aimed to counter the BJP’s growth in the region. As compared to the coastal and southern regions, the BJD, leaders say, is “relatively weak” in the western parts, and Patnaik’s decision is meant to highlight his commitment to the region, which comprises five Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly segments. Kantabanji falls under the Balangir Lok Sabha segment.

It was in 2019 that Patnaik, for the first time in his political journey, decided to contest from a seat in the western region, sensing BJP’s emergence in the state. He had then chosen Bijepur, under the Bargarh parliamentary seat, apart from Hinjili. While he won both the seats with a thumping majority, Patnaik retained his traditional seat, vacating Bijepur.

His decision to contest from a second seat in western Odisha had helped the regional party win a majority of assembly seats, even as the BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls in the region, winning all five parliamentary constituencies. Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state are held simultaneously.

“The CM is not the leader of one particular constituency, he is the leader of 4.5 crore people. People in all 147 constituencies want the CM to represent them in the assembly. Though he can represent only one seat as per law, the move proves his commitment to all constituencies,” senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said.

In Kantabanji, Patnaik will take on sitting Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja, who has been repeated by the