Bhubaneswar: Senior lawyer and BJP vice-president Pitambar Acharya will fight against BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Hinjili Assembly segment.
The saffron party today named Acharya as the party’s candidate for the Hinjli Assembly constituency. Acharya will make his political debut by contesting against the four-time Chief Minister. Speculation was rife that that the prominent lawyer might be the saffron party’s candidate for Cuttack Lok Sabha seat.
However, former DGP Prakash Mishra was named party’s Cuttack LS nominee and Acharya was promoted to party vice-president.
Hinjili is the home turf of Patnaik. This is the fifth consecutive time that the Patnaik is seeking election from Hinjili Assembly constituency under Aska Lok Sabha segment. Since 2000, the Chief Minister has been representing from Hinjili.
Patnaik would contest from two Assembly seats – Hinjili in Ganjam district in southern Odisha and Bijepur in Bargarh district in western Odisha – for the first time. This is the fifth consecutive time that the Patnaik is seeking election from Hinjili.
Meanwhile, Patnaik filed his nominations both from Hinjili and Bijepur.
Both Hinjili and Bijepur will go to polls in the second phase of voting on April 18. The last date of nomination for the second phase of polling is March 26.
