TNI Bureau: The Congress party today announced the much-awaited list of its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. In the first phase, it has selected candidates for 8 Lok Sabha and 49 Assembly seats.

While repeating several heavyweight leaders like Tara Bahinipati (Jeypore), Ramesh Jena (Sanakhemundi) and Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka (Koraput LS) in their respective constituencies, the grand old party has gone against its prior announcement and given tickets to more one member of a family.

Earlier, the party had declared that it would give ticket to only once individual of a family. However, it has given tickets to father-son and father-daughter of at least two families.

The congress party has named veteran Bhakta Charan Das from Narla constituency while his son Sagar Charan Das has been fielded from Bhawanipatna assembly seat.

Likewise, senior party leader Bhujabal Majhi has been nominated as MP candidate for Nabarangpur LS seat and his daughter Dr. Lipika Majhi has been given ticket to contest from Dabugam assembly seat.