BALASORE: Senior BJP leader and former Balasore MP Kharabela Swain has dared the saffron party by announcing to contest as an independent candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Swain’s decision came in the wake of the party re-nominating sitting MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi for the Balasore LS where he was an aspirant.
If the party reconsiders his name, the three-time MP said he would start campaigning in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his schemes and seek votes. “But if the party sticks to its earlier decision, I would contest as an independent and reach out to people seeking votes in the name of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” the leader told TNIE.
Swain had expressed his decision to vie for the seat, asserting his service to the party and the development of the state and district. He emphasised the need for the party to reconsider its choice for the constituency’s representative.
Reiterating his commitment to contesting from Balasore independently, Swain affirmed his loyalty to the BJP, expressing readiness to face any consequences from the party leadership.
On not being given a BJP ticket, Swain alleged it was due to a group of conspirators who are aiming to tarnish his standing within the party. “Even after getting a favourable report about me and my chances to win either the Balasore or Kandhamal seat, the party has not given a ticket to me,” said Swain expressing his anguish.
Swain’s political career spans decades, having represented the Balasore constituency in 1998, 1999 and 2004. In the 2019 elections, he contested from Kandhamal but faced defeat against Biju Janata Dal’s Achyuta Samanta.