The BJP on Friday named Santosh Khatua as its candidate for Nilgiri assembly seat in Odisha's Balasore district, thus completing the process of announcing nominees for the simultaneous elections in the state.
In the 2019 polls, Khatua had contested from the seat as a BJD candidate but lost to BJP's Sukant Nayak.
The BJP on Friday named Santosh Khatua as its candidate for Nilgiri assembly seat in Odisha's Balasore district, thus completing the process of announcing nominees for the simultaneous elections in the state.
The Lok Sabha and assembly polls will be held in the state from May 13 to June 1.
Khatua had on Thursday resigned from the BJD after being denied a party ticket from Nilgiri seat. He joined the BJP and was nominated by the saffron party.
In the 2019 polls, Khatua had contested from the seat as a BJD candidate but lost to BJP's Sukant Nayak.
Nayak, on the other hand, joined the BJD on March 31 and has been nominated by the regional party for the Nilgiri seat.
Nayak had won the Nilgiri seat twice, in 2014 and 2019. In 2014, he had contested as a BJD candidate and in 2019, he fought on the BJP's symbol and defeated Khatua by a margin of 1,577 votes.
In this election, they will face each other again, albeit as candidates of different parties.