Bhubaneswar, April 18: The Keonjhar assembly seat in Odisha is gearing up for an interesting battle in the upcoming elections
Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded its seasoned veteran Mohan Charan Majhi as its nominee once again from this seat. The incumbent MLA Majhi is going to contest from this seat seven times. Earlier he has won the election three times and lost three times from this reserved seat. He had won in 2000,and 2004 (when BJD-BJP was in alliance), and 2019 as a BJP candidate.
On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal has fielded Mina Majhi, the former chairman of Keonjhargarh Municipality, as its candidate from this segment. She is contesting the assembly election for the first time. Although she is a fresh face, she has a strong base in the tribal belt of the rural area, which makes her a preferred candidate for the BJD.
The grand old Congress party has fielded Prativa Manjari Naik, wife of former MLA Subarna Naik. She is another fresh face in the race. She has served as the ex-chairman of Jhumpura Block and was also a zilla parishad member.
Both Prativa and Subarna Naik recently joined the Congress party. Subarna, a former government engineer, left his job in 2008 to pursue a political career. He became the BJD candidate in the Keonjhar assembly seat and was elected in 2009.
With candidates from diverse political backgrounds, the Keonjhar assembly segment promises an intense battle in the upcoming elections. Voters will have to decide between experience and fresh perspectives as they head to the polls.
