Interview Times 
The Indian National Congress announced the first list of candidates for eight Lok Sabha and 49 assembly seats in Odisha Announced this tuesday. As per the information Sanjay Bhoi will contest from Bargarh while Janardhan Dehury from Sundargarh. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapara assembly seats. Saptagiri Ulaka, the lone Congress Lok Sabha member from the state, has been renamed as the party’s candidate from Koraput seat. He will fight against ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Kaushalya Hikka and Keleram Majhi. From BJP group.
It is also Noted cine actor Manoj Mishra has been nominated to contest from Bolangir LS seat. He will lock horns with BJP’s Sangeeta Singhdeo. The BJD has not announced its candidate yet. As per the list, former MLA Bhujabal Majhi will contest from Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat while his daughter Lipika Majhi has been nominated as the party’s candidate for Dabugaon assembly seat. Former Union railway minister Bhakta Charan Das and his son Sagar Das have made a cut into the list of assembly candidates. The father and son duo will contest from Narla and Bhawanipanta assembly constituencies.
Congress releases names for 49 Assembly seats:
Meanwhile, the Congress has also announced candidates for 49 out of 147 assembly seats and eight out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. Congress has fielded father-son duo Bhakta Charan Das and his son Sagar Charan Das from two different Assembly seats in Kalahandi district. Similarly, Bhujabal Majhi has been nominated for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat while his daughter Lipika Majhi will contest from Dabugaon assembly seat.
The Congress has retained its only sitting MP, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, for the Koraput parliamentary seat.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapada Assembly seat in Nuapada district. It is to be noted that Mr. Pattanayak belongs to Balangir district. Former Indian Hockey player Prabodh Tirkey has been fielded by Congress from the Talsara Assembly seat. Former Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik has been fielded from Paralakhemundi Assembly seat. Congress has fielded Manoj Mishra, Odia film actor, from Balangir district. Most of candidates of Congress hail from southern and western Odisha.
