BHUBANESWAR : BJP’s candidate for Puri Lok Sabha seat Sambit Patra on Monday presented a report card on the development works undertaken by him in the parliamentary constituency in the last five years.
Patra’s initiative is unique as never before has any defeated candidate presented a report card of work undertaken by him/her for a constituency. The case of Patra has been different as he continued to nurse the seat more than sitting MP Pinaki Mishra of BJD while remaining confident of getting renominated by the party.
Releasing his report card of the last five years at the state headquarters of the party here, Patra said, “I drew my strength from the faith reposed on me by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and jumped into the electoral fray. I gracefully accepted my defeat. Perhaps Lord Jagannath tested me by handing over defeat to me. I have never shirked my responsibility towards people of my constituency even after they rejected me in the 2019 general elections. I continued to work sincerely without any official position and tried my best to solve their problems.”
Highlighting his major achievements, Patra said apart from his contribution to spread of Jagannath culture, the constituency has witnessed significant infrastructure growth in national highway expansion and railway services. Expansion of postal services, lighting facility at the mouth of Chilika lake, extension of financial assistance under different schemes to farmers, weavers, fishermen and women self-help groups are the other noticeable contributions, he added.
In a keen contest, Patra lost to three-time BJD MP Pinaki Mishra with a slender margin of 11,714 votes in the 2019 elections. Among the eight BJP MPs from the state, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Mohanty was only one who has been presenting her report cards to the constituents every year.
Patra presented his report card in the presence of his team comprising Puri Lok Sabha pravari Amiya Dash, co-pravari Sankar Parida, district unit presidents of Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh.