Odisha Elections 2019: Fate of heavyweights sealed in EVMs

Bhubaneswar: The fate of heavyweights including three Odisha ministers was sealed in EVMs in first phase of elections conducted for 4 Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly seats today.

While Co-Operation, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Surjya Narayan Patro contested the polls from Digapahandi Assembly Constituency, Planning and Convergence Minister Usha Devi entered into elections from Chikiti Assembly seat. The Minister for ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes, Ramesh Chandra Majhi was the lone minister in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik cabinet who fought for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency against Congress’ Pradeep Majhi and BJP candidate Balabhadra Majhi in the first phase of the elections.

BJD leaders including former union minister Chandrasekhar Sahoo, former state minister Rabi Narayan Nanda and former Rajya Sabha MP Bhupinder Singh have also tried their luck in the elections.

It was the three-corner fight among BJP State President Basant Panda, Congress’ Bhakta Charan Das and BJD’s Pushpendra Singhdeo in Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat in the first phase of polls today.

While BJD’s Chandrasekhar Sahoo fought the polls against BJP’s Bhrugu Baxipatra and Congress’ V Chandrasekhar Naidu in Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, the fate of political leaders including BJD’s Bikram Panda, Congress’ Tara Prasad Bahinipati and BJP’s Jayram Pangi and Pinki Pradhan were sealed in the electronic voting machines.

The results will be declared on May 23.