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Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan filed his nomination from Odisha's Sambalpur constituency on Thursday.
Pradhan visited the Maa Samaleswari temple and sought divine blessings before filing his nomination on Thursday. Pradhan took out an elaborate roadshow ahead of his nomination, with people holding banners and placards turned up in big numbers on both sides of the streets in Sambalpur, welcoming Pradhan and demonstrating their support for the BJP. "I heartily thank my family members in Sambalpur for showing their confidence in me by participating in large numbers in the road show organised for my nomination from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. The blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath and Maa Samlei and the affection of all of you are my greatest strength," Pradhan said in a post on 'X'. Speaking to reporters before filing his nomination, the Union Minister said the BJP will secure all 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Pradhan who is a Rajya Sabha MP has been pitted against Congress' Nagendra Pradhan and Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Pranab Prakash Das from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The battle for Sambalpur this year will mark Pradhan's return to the fray after a gap of 15 years. The constituency will go to polls on May 25. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Nitesh Ganga Deb defeated BJD's Nalini Kanta Pradhan by a margin of 9,162 votes. The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state are to be held simultaneously in four phases, starting May 13. The voting for the remaining seats will be held on May 20, May 25 and June 1. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the majority of seats in the state while the BJP and the Congress brought up the rear. The BJD won 12 seats while the BJP finished a close second at 8 and the Congress bagged just a lone seat. The counting of votes for all phases is scheduled for June 4. (ANI)
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