TNI Bureau: Senior politician Debasish Nayak today announced to contest from the Bari Assembly Seat  in Jajpur district as an Independent candidate after being denied party ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It is to be noted here that Debasish Nayak, the former BJD MLA and ex-minister, who was once close to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had joined the BJP fold and was aspiring to get the BJP ticket to contest the upcoming elections from Bari assembly seat.

However, the saffron party yesterday fielded Umesh Chandra Jena from the assembly seat. Dissatisfied over Jena’s candidature, Nayak decided to contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate.

Debasish Nayak had won the Bari seat in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014 on BJD ticket. However, the conch party did not give him ticket in 2019 and after realising that he won’t be getting the ticket for 2024 als, Nayak joined the BJP in February this year.