BJP’s Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi Wins From BJD Stronghold Kandhamal

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi has won from the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, a traditional BJD stronghold. Panigrahi’s victory marks a change in the region’s political landscape. He received a total of 4,16,415 votes, winning by a margin of  21,371votes.

Achyutananda Samanta from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) came second with 3,95,044  votes. Amir Chand Nayak from the Indian National Congress (INC) secured the third position in the constituency with 1,44,322 votes.

As per the last 2019 Assembly elections, BJD has 7 MLAs from Kandhamal Parliament constituency and the party had an upper hand since the constituency came into existence in 2008.

Sukanta Kumar started his political career after joining BJP in 1998. In 1999 and 2002, he held the position of Nayagarh district president for the BJP. Since 2002, he has been serving as a state executive member of the BJP.

From 2019 to 2021, he served as a National Executive Member for the BJP Kishan Morcha. Additionally, he ran as an MLA candidate in the general elections of 2000 and 2004, representing the BJP from the Dasapalla Constituency.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Achyutananda Samanta had won the seat with a margin of 149,216 votes. Achyutananda Samanta was polled 4,61,679 votes with a vote share of 49.00 % and defeated Mahameghabahan Aira Kharabela Swain from BJP who got 312,463 votes (33.17 %). In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Hemendra Chandra Singh from BJD won the seat and was polled 421,458 votes with a vote share of 50.19%.

(This article is part of a Timeline internship project)