Sambit Patra presented the complete report card of last 5 years
Bhubaneswar: BJP candidate from Puri Lok Sabha seat Sambit Patra on Monday presented a report card on the development work done by him in the parliamentary constituency in the last five years.
Patra’s initiative is unique because never before has a defeated candidate presented a report card of the work done by him for a constituency. Patra’s case has been different as he continued to give more importance to the seat than BJD’s sitting MP Pinaki Mishra, while remaining confident of being fielded by the party again.
Releasing his report card of the last five years at the party’s state headquarters here, Patra said, “The confidence reposed in me by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave me strength and I jumped into the electoral fray. I accepted my defeat graciously. Perhaps Lord Jagannath tested me by handing me defeat. Even after I was rejected in the 2019 general elections, I never shied away from my responsibility towards the people of my constituency. I continued to work honestly without any official position and tried my best to solve their problems.”
Highlighting his major achievements, Patra said that apart from his contribution in spreading Jagannath culture, the constituency has seen significant infrastructure development in national highway expansion and railway services. He said expansion of postal services, lighting system at the mouth of Chilika Lake, extension of financial assistance under various schemes to farmers, weavers, fishermen and women self-help groups are other notable contributions.
In a tight contest, Patra lost the 2019 elections to three-time BJD MP Pinaki Mishra by a slim margin of 11,714 votes. Of the eight BJP MPs from the state, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Mohanty was the only one who has been presenting her report card before the constituents every year.
Patra presented her report card in the presence of her team, which included Puri Lok Sabha in-charge Amiya Dash, co-resident Shankar Parida, district unit presidents of Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh.
