Muktikanta Biswal, Who Walked 1,500-km to Remind PM Modi of 'Promises', Features in Congress' List For Odisha Assembly Elections 2019
Biswal, 31, has been fielded from the Rourkela constituency. An idol-maker by profession, he had resorted to political activism in June 2018, demanding PM Modi to upgrade the Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela.
Bhubaneswar, March 23: In the Congress' list of candidates for Odisha assembly elections 2019, a man who walked 1,500-km to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his "promises" has featured. Activist Muktikanta Biswal, who walked for 71 days last year as part of his march from Rourkela to New Delhi, has been fielded by the party.
Biswal, 31, has been fielded from the Rourkela constituency. An idol-maker by profession, he had resorted to political activism in June 2018, demanding PM Modi to upgrade the Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela. BJP Names Candidates for 5 LS Constituencies, 22 Assembly Seats in Odisha.
Biswal had fainted enroute to Delhi during his march, and was rushed to a hospital in Agra. After being discharged, he arrived in the national capital but failed to meet the Prime Minister.
In Rourkela, the electoral debutant will be in a triangular contest against BJD and the BJP -- the latter's Dilip Ray is the sitting MLA.
Odisha, which has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats, is scheduled to go to simultaneous voting in four phases - on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.
The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is currently in power, with 117 legislators. The Congress is the second largest party with 16 MLAs, followed by the BJP 10.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2019 09:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).