Kendrapara Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Voting date, results, candidates, main parties and schedule

2024 Lok Sabha election in Odisha. File photo of PM Modi during a roadshow in Odisha.

The Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency stands as one of the 21 parliamentary constituencies in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. This district encompasses nine blocks, namely Aul, Derabish, Garadpur, Mahakalapada, Marshaghai, Kendrapara, Rajanagar, Rajkanika, and Patamundai, with five assembly constituencies within its purview. As of the 2011 census, the population of the Kendrapara district was recorded at 1,440,361.

The political legacy of the Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency dates back to India's independence, with its inaugural election held in 1952, won by Congress's Nityanand. In subsequent years, the Praja Socialist Party claimed victory in 1957, 1962, and 1967, with Surendra Nath Dwivedi emerging as the triumphant candidate on all three occasions. In 1971, Surendra Mohanty of the Utkal Congress clinched the seat, a party established by prominent Odisha leader Biju Patnaik in response to his disillusionment with the Congress.

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Amidst the anti-Indira Gandhi sentiment in 1977, Biju Patnaik secured victory on a Janata Party ticket. Despite the emotional wave favoring the Congress following Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, Biju Patnaik retained the seat. A significant by-election occurred in 1985, resulting in another victory for the Janata Party. In subsequent years, Rabi Ray of the Janata Dal claimed victory in 1989 and 1991, followed by Shri Kant Jena's win in 1996.

Key candidates:

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The BJD Chief Minister has appealed to the electorate of Kendrapara, a constituency deeply entrenched in the legacy of his late father Biju Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha and urged support for BJD candidates contesting in both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Kendrapara holds profound sentimental value for the BJD, serving as a bastion of their political influence.