The change of new faces in Patna, Keonjhar and Telkoi Assembly seats by the BJD has been crucial to retain the seats. In the last two terms, the BJD won all the three seats by good margins of votes.

This time, Patna BJD MLA Hrusikesh Naik, Keonjhar Sadar MLA Abhiram Naik and Telkoi MLA Bedabyas Nayak have been dropped and new young faces have been given tickets.

Jagannath Naik, son of former MLA Kanhu Naik is the new BJD candidate for Patna. Madhab Sardar, a former MP, is the BJD candidate for Keonjhar Sadar while Premananda Nayak who was the BJD MLA in 2009 has been repeated to contest from Telkoi this time. Patna Telkoi and Keonjhar are reserved for ST seats and senior leader Badri Narayan Patra has been playing an important role in selection of candidates and monitoring the election scenario.

The sitting BJD MLAs have done little in their constituencies for which they have failed to win the trust of the voters. The BJP’s position on the other hand has been better this time in the constituencies as the party has strengthened its hold in the three seats in the last four years. Bhawani Nayak of BJP is contesting from Patna for the second time, while Mohan Majhi from BJP is contesting the Keonjhar sadar seat for the fifth time. Mohan has won Keonjhar seat twice. Dhanurjay Sidhu, former Champua MLA, is the BJP candidate from Telkoi.

The Congress has also fielded new faces like Binod Bihari Naik for Patna, Prashant Kumar Dalei for Telkoi and Bidyadhar Dehury for Keonjhar Sadar, but they have failed to create any impact in their respective constituency within a short period of time. BJP national leaders like Arun Singh, Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and all State leaders have focused on these seats by campaigning for their candidates.

The BJP has announced Re 1 subsidized rations scheme, another medical college, a steel plant and action against mining and chit fund mafia if they come to power again.  Naveen Patnaik with his star campaigners is also backing their candidates but no national Congress leaders have been seen so far in the district. Hence, the fight in the three constituencies is left between the BJD and BJP.

The KALIA scheme, Ama Gaon Ama Vikas, PEETHA Yojana and other welfare schemes introduced by the Naveen Patnaik Government may lure voters in the BJD’s support.

The ongoing medical college and other mega infrastructural developments during the BJD Government will also go in favour of the BJD.