Bhubaneswar: BJP leader and former Union Minister Jual Oram has announced that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls would be his last parliamentary election.

Oram, who has been fielded by the BJP from Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, made this announcement at Rourkela yesterday.

“The BJP has given me tickets to fight the Lok Sabha polls from Sundargarh for the eighth time. This Lok Sabha polls will be my last election. The youths should get a chance,” said the BJP leader.

Oram, a five-time Lok Sabha MP from Odisha, thanked the BJP leadership for re-nominating him to fight the Lok Sabha polls from Sundargarh.

Oram along with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have been made members to BJP manifesto committee for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the country.

Oram, a tribal leader, had been appointed as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre.

He had also served as a minister under Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2014 to 2019.

Notably, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has picked Hockey India president Dillip Tirkey to take on Oram (63) in Sundargarh seat.

The Congress party is yet to announce its candidate for Sundargarh Lok Sabha segment.