BJD fields 2 octogenarian candidates for Odisha Assembly election

Berhampur, Odisha: Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal has fielded two octogenarian candidates for the state Assembly elections which will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJD has fielded over 80-year-old Ramesh Chandra Chyaupatnaik from the Berhampur assembly seat in Ganjam district, from where he was elected five times in a row till 2014. In the last election, he did not contest the election as the party denied ticket to him.

Chyaupatnaik is the oldest candidate of the BJD in the state so far after the ruling party declared his candidature. The BJD has so far announced candidates for 108 of the 147 assembly seats and 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

The other octogenarian candidate is Badrinarayan Patra who has been re-nominated by the BJD to contest from the Ghasipura assembly segment in Keonjhar district.

Chyauptnaik's date of birth is August 20, 1943, while that of Patra's is November 14, 1943.

"Age is just a number. Old age is not deterring me from doing work mentally and physically when the willpower is strong," said Chyaupatnaik, who is a doctor by profession.

Chyaupatnaik, who is also the Ganjam district president of the BJD, claimed that he performed all the activities assigned by the party.

Braving the sweltering summer heat, Chyaupatnaik with some of his supporters hit the campaign trail after his name was declared as the candidate of Berhampur. The veteran leader will fight against K Anil Kumar (52) of BJP. The Congress is yet to declare its candidate for the Berhampur seat.

Other aged persons who will be contesting the election this time from Ganjam district include Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who at the age of 77 years is contesting for the sixth time from the Hinjili Assembly seat and Manjula Swain (70) from the Aska Assembly seat.

In politics, there is no retirement age. One can do politics till he or she is strong mentally and physically. There were several instances that octogenarians were elected to the state assembly and Lok Sabha, said JK Mohapatra, former vice-chancellor, Berhampur University.