BJD supporters in Odisha's Ganjan district were overwhelmed by the party's decision to field Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from his home turf Hinjili assembly seat for the sixth time in a row.
During the day, the ruling party released the first list of 72 candidates for the ensuing state assembly polls and also announced 15 Lok Sabha nominees.
“We are very glad that he would contest from Hinjili once again in the state assembly elections," former BJD zilla parishad member Sameer Pradhan said.
Ajaya Moharana, a supporter of BJD in Hinjili, said that Patnaik will win with a higher margin this time than the previous elections.
His victory margin has continued to increase since 2000, except last time.
Patnaik had been elected to the state assembly for the first time in 2000 from Hinjili with a winning margin of 29,826 votes.
The margin had increased to 76,586 in the 2014 assembly elections, but the same dropped to 60,160 five years ago.
In the last assembly election, the BJD president contested from Hinjili along with Bijepur, a western Odisha constituency, and won both seats. He, however, retained Hinjili.
“Not only Hinjili people, but the entire Ganjam district was happy, as he would seek re-election from his home turf," BJD’s state women wing zonal president Mamata Bisoi said.
His presence will "boost the rank and file of the party across the Ganjam district, Berhampur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu said.
Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases between May 13 and June 1.
Patnaik made his debut in the electoral battle in 1997 and won the by-election to the Aska Lok Sabha seat as a nominee of the erstwhile Janata Dal.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of his father Biju Patnaik.
