Lok Sabha 2019 constituency: Odisha’s Aska is BJD’s pocket borough

The Biju Janata Dal has dominated the Aska parliamentary constituency in Odisha for decades now.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik made his political debut from Aska in 1997 when he won the by-election from the Aska Lok Sabha seat as a nominee of the erstwhile Janata Dal after the death of his father Biju Patnaik. Naveen Patnaik held the seat till 1999 and since then the ruling party in the eastern state has held on to the Aska.

Ladu Kishore Swain was the sitting MP from Aska general seat. He died in February this year.

The BJD’s Pramila Bisoi will contest from Aska Lok Sabha seat against Anita Subhadarshini of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Subhadarshini is an associate professor with IGNOU in New Delhi and is the daughter of former BJD strongman Ramakrushna Patnaik. And, the Congress will back Communist Party of India(Marxist) leader Rama Krushna Panda.

READ: All about Lok Sabha elections 2019

Aska will vote on April 18 during the second round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha election. The result will be declared on May 23.

Here are some facts about the Aska Lok Sabha seat:

State: Odisha

Name of the Lok Sabha constituency: Aska

Polling date: April 18

2019 candidates: Pramila Biso (BJD), Anita Subhadarshini (BJP), Rama Krushna Panda (CPI-M)

Sitting MP, party: Ladu Kishore Swain, BJD

Winning margin in 2014: 311,997

Runner up name, party: Srilokanath Ratha, Congress

Number of voters in 2014: 896,281

Percentage of votes polled in 2014: 63.62%

Number of women voters in 2014: 657,781

Number of polling booths in 2014: 1,579