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A day after being announced as the party's Lok Sabha pick from Puri, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra offered prayers at the iconic Jagannath Temple on Monday.
Sharing his thoughts on his candidature from the city, which is considered the abode of Lord Jagannath and is popular with tourists from across the country and beyond, Patra expressed gratitude to the top leadership of the party. Speaking to ANI after offering his prayers at the temple, Patra said, "I thanked Lord Jagannath on this auspicious day of Holi for calling me into his service. I also thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, the party's president, JP Nadda, the members of our Central Election Committee, and the entire leadership of the BJP for yet again putting their faith in me." Reflecting on his previous experience of running for the Lok Sabha in 2019, which ended in a close defeat, Patra said, "Last time, I came up short by just 11,000 votes. However, I have since taken inspiration from PM Modi's leadership and hard work and have tried to incorporate his working philosophy in Puri. My message to the people going into these elections is that it is not about electing Sambit Patra, but PM Modi, and his vision of development and taking the country forward." The BJP put out its fifth list of Lok Sabha candidates on Sunday, announcing Patra as its pick again from Puri. The fifth list comprised a total of 111 candidates across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Polling in Odisha, spread over 21 constituencies, will be held in four phases. The polling in the state is scheduled for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) emerged as the dominant party, securing 20 out of the 21 seats, while the BJP had to settle for a single seat. However, the 2019 elections saw the BJP close the gap on the BJD, winning 8 seats to the latter's 12. The Congress won a single seat in the state in the last general elections. (ANI)
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