Berhampur: The ruling Biju Janata Dal has once again retained its strong grip over Ganjam district, the home turf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The BJD had grabbed all two Lok Sabha seats and 12 of 13 Assembly seats in Ganjam in the 2019 elections.
Untouched by forcibly Modi wave and marathon campaign by the BJP leaders in this politically sensitive south Odisha district, the people of Ganjam reposed their faith on the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik retained his home turf Hinjli for a fifth consecutive term, trouncing nearest rival and BJP nominee Pitambar Acharya from the assembly seat by 60,160 votes.
Bikram Kumar Panda won the Berhampur Assembly seat for the BJD by defeating BJP candidate Kanhu Charan Pati by 35,484 votes.
BJD nominee Subash Behera beat BJP’s Prashant Kumar Kar to win the Chatrapur Assembly constituency, while Surjya Narayan Patro and Bikram Keshari Arukh retained their traditional seats Digapahandi and Bhanjanagar respectively with comfort margins.
Usha Devi and Pradeep Panigrahi also retained Chikiti and Gopalpur seats respectively.
Majula Swain won in Aska, Purna Chandra Swain in Sorada, K Surjyamani Baidya in Khallikote and Latika Pradhan in Kabisuryanagar.
The Naveen Patnaik-led party also retained the two Lok Sabha seats in the district.
Pramila Bisoi, the 70-year-old village leader of a Self Help Group (SHG), has been elected from Aska Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJP candidate Anita Subahdarshini by a staggering margin of 2,04,707 votes.
Chandra Sekhar Sahu won the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat for BJD by defeating his nearest rival Bhrigu Buxipatra of BJP.
Even though, the BJP has retained power at the Centre for the second consecutive term, the party’s performance in Ganjam district did not win a single seat in Ganjam.
While Congress managed to win Sana Khemundi assembly seat in the district.
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