New Delhi: Puri Lok Sabha seat has become a high-profile seat since 2019 after the BJP fielded Sambit Patra from the seat. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Puri is set to witness a fierce battle between the BJD and the BJP. Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)’s Patra and Biju Janta Dal’s Arup Patnaik are the two prominent candidates in the fray. 

Odisha is going to the polls in four phases – May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1, 2024. According to the Election Commission of India, the citizens of Puri constituency will vote in six phases on May 25. In the ongoing general election, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has put its bet on Arup Patnaik, replacing sitting MP Pinaki Mishra.

Arup Patnaik is an IPS officer and was the Mumbai Police Commissioner. He is 67 years old. This time, the BJP has changed its candidate from the seat because, in the 2019 polls, the winning margin between the BJD and the BJP narrowed down to just around 11,000. The BJP, which was in the third position in 2014, climbed to the second spot, grabbing almost similar votes compared to the BJD.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, BJD candidate Pinaki Misra secured a victory with 5,38,321 votes and led with 11,714, while BJP candidate Sambit Patra was a runner-up with 5,26,607 votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls BJD leader Pinaki Misra secured a victory with 5,23,161 votes and 46.07 % vote share, while Congress leader Sucharita Mohanty secured a second position with 2,59,800 votes, BJP candidate Ashok Sahu received 2,15,763 votes, 19% vote share securing third position in constituency.

The BJD was aware that a slight change in vote share could lead to its defeat against the BJP this time and thus changed the candidate to mitigate anti-incumbency. On the other hand, Patra is trying its luck for the second time from the seat. His impressive performance in the 2019 polls got him the BJP ticket for the second time.