BJP confident of winning Patkura Assembly seat in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After being declared as the main opposition with 23 members in Odisha Assembly, the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears confident of winning Patkura seat in the upcoming poll scheduled on July 20.

“The BJP will win the Patkura Assembly poll,” said Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, adding that the ‘sympathy’ factor will help Bijoy Mohapatra to win the seat.

“Every political party has particular poll strategy. However, we will win the poll,” he told media.

Speaking about the Union Budget 2019 presented yesterday in Lok Sabha, he termed the budget as ‘futuristic’.

“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented the budget in view of future benefits. Prime Minister’s dream ‘New India’ will come true due to the budget and it will help to develop New Odisha,” the union minister said.

He said that Odisha will receive a lion’s share of the profits.

“This budget is rural development-oriented and Odisha will be among 3-4 states likely to be benefited from the budget,” he added.

Notably, BJP has fielded senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra as its candidate against Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s Sabitri Agarwalla, widow of former MLA Bed Prakash Agarwalla, and Congress’ Jayanta Kumar Mohanty for the Patkura Assembly election.

Earlier, the election to the Patkura Assembly seat was countermanded following the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla. The poll, which was rescheduled for May 19, was again postponed due to Cyclone FANI that devastated the coastal Odisha on May 3. Later, the Election Commission of India fixed the date for July 20. The result will be declared on July 24.