The BJP on Thursday announced candidates for six more assembly seats in Odisha, including its state unit vice president Dr Purnachandra Mohapatra.
Mohapatra, a doctor by profession, has been nominated from the Barabati-Cuttack assembly segment where Kendrapara MP and actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty, who defected from BJD, was also in the race for the BJP ticket, party sources said.
Mohapatra's name was also in the discussion for BJP nominee for the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat.
With the sixth list of candidates, the party announced its nominees for 146 seats for elections to the 147-member assembly in the state.
The party is yet to announce its nominee for Nilagiri in Balasore district.
Prakash Ranabijuli has been named as the BJP candidate from the Begunia assembly segment and Umesh C Jena from the Bari assembly seat.
Former BJD MLA and ex-minister Debasish Nayak, who was once close to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and joined the BJP after being denied a ticket in two previous elections, was in the race for a saffron camp ticket in Bari, the sources said.
The BJP fielded Sudhanshu Nayak from the Bhandaripokhari seat, while Ashish Patra and Dr Sambhunath Rout will contest from Bhogarai and Ghasipura assembly segments respectively, an official release issued by the party said.
