New Delhi: Sambit Patra has been a popular face on TV debates and has often been found indulging in high decibel fights with his political opponents. However, in Puri, he fought a different battle to make his way to the Parliament.
BJD's Pinaki Mishra fought from this beach town of Odisha. Last time he won defeating the Congress. He polled 5,23,161 votes.
It is a rural constituency with a literacy rate of 83.43%. In 2014, there were 1404581 voters of which 742939 were male, and 661592 were female and 50 voters of the third gender.
With a 90% Hindu majority, it is also home to the Jaagannatghdham. No wonder then that Sambit Patra has played on motifs and imageries during his campaign that appeals to the Hindu sensibilities.