Odisha, once a stronghold of the Congress-led UPA, has seen a significant political shift in the last couple of Lok Sabha Elections. The state is now firmly in the grip of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, after parting ways from the NDA in 2008.
The repercussions of the Lok Sabha Election results in Odisha extend beyond its borders, shaping the political landscape of the eastern states. This could potentially play a pivotal role in the formation of the government at the center. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seen a rise in its fortunes in the state in recent elections, the road ahead is not without challenges.
When are the Odisha Lok Sabha Elections?
The Lok Sabha Elections in Odisha typically occur in the initial phases of the nationwide elections, alongside other eastern states. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, polling in Odisha took place in the early stages of the mega-elections. Similarly, for the 2024 elections, Odisha is expected to hold its polls in the month of April.
How many phases will Odisha have?
General Elections in Odisha are usually conducted in three to four phases. This pattern was observed in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Following the same trend, Odisha is likely to have its polling spread across three to four phases once again in the 2024 General Elections.
How many Lok Sabha constituencies does Odisha have?
Odisha comprises a total of 21 Lok Sabha seats. Among these, three seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, while five seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJD, under Naveen Patnaik’s leadership, secured victory in 12 of the 21 seats. The BJP won 8 seats, leaving the Indian National Congress (INC) with one seat.
List of all the constituencies and elected members from Odisha Lok Sabha Elections of 2019:
| No. | Constituency | Elected Member | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bargarh | Suresh Pujari | BJP |
| 2 | Sundargarh (ST) | Jual Oram | BJP |
| 3 | Sambalpur | Nitesh Ganga Deb | BJP |
| 4 | Keonjhar (ST) | Chandrani Murmu | BJD |
| 5 | Mayurbhanj (ST) | Bishweswar Tudu | BJP |
| 6 | Balasore | Pratap Sarangi | BJP |
| 7 | Bhadrak (SC) | Manjulata Mandal | BJD |
| 8 | Jajpur (SC) | Sarmistha Sethi | BJD |
| 9 | Dhenkanal | Mahesh Sahoo | BJD |
| 10 | Bolangir | Sangeeta Singh Deo | BJP |
| 11 | Kalahandi | Basanta Kumar Panda | BJP |
| 12 | Nabarangpur (ST) | Ramesh Chandra Majhi | BJD |
| 13 | Kandhamal | Achyuta Samanta | BJD |
| 14 | Cuttack | Bhartruhari Mahtab | BJD |
| 15 | Kendrapara | Anubhav Mohanty | BJD |
| 16 | Jagatsinghpur (SC) | Rajashree Mallick | BJD |
| 17 | Puri | Pinaki Misra | BJD |
| 18 | Bhubaneswar | Aparajita Sarangi | BJP |
| 19 | Aska | Pramila Bisoyi | BJD |
| 20 | Berhampur | Chandra Sekhar Sahu | BJD |
| 21 | Koraput (SC) | Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka | INC |
List of candidates for 2024 elections:
The 18th Lok Sabha Elections in Odisha will witness a three-way contest, with the BJD, NDA, and I.N.D.I.A alliance vying for supremacy. The BJD, which saw a decrease of eight seats in 2019 compared to 2014, aims to reclaim its dominance in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP seeks to expand its footprint in Odisha, aiming for double-digit seat numbers this time around.
| No. | Constituency | I.N.D.I.A | NDA | BJD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bargarh | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2 | Sundargarh (ST) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 3 | Sambalpur | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 4 | Keonjhar (ST) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 5 | Mayurbhanj (ST) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 6 | Balasore | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Bhadrak (SC) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 8 | Jajpur (SC) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 9 | Dhenkanal | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 10 | Bolangir | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 11 | Kalahandi | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 12 | Nabarangpur (ST) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 13 | Kandhamal | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 14 | Cuttack | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 15 | Kendrapara | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 16 | Jagatsinghpur (SC) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 17 | Puri | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | Bhubaneswar | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 19 | Aska | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 20 | Berhampur | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 21 | Koraput (SC) | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Please note that the candidates for the respective parties (I.N.D.I.A, NDA, BJD) are yet to be announced or finalized for the Odisha Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
