Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen patnaik today announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats. The State's ruling party has denied tickets to six of its sitting MPs.

The party has fielded former Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik from Bhubaneswar parliamentary constituency replacing its sitting and five-time MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani. The BJD Chief announced Patasani will be sent to Rajya Sabha.

From Bhubaneswar seat, Arup Patnaik will contest against BJP's Aparajita Sarangi and Congress backed CPI (M) nominee Janardan Pati.

The BJD has re-nominated its sitting MP Rabindra Jena from Balasore Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming election.

Doctor-turned-politician Debasis Marandi will make his electoral debut as the ruling party has decided to field Marandi from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat. The Party has dropped its sitting MP Ramchandra Hansda from the constituency.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party has fielded Ollywood actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty from Kendrapara constituency from where BJP leader and former BJD MP Baijayant Panda was elected to Lok Sabha three times. This time, Anubhav, now a Rajya Sabha MP, will take on Baijayant in the forthcoming polls.

Sarmistha Sethi is the BJD candidate from Jajpur Lok Sabha constituency. The party denied ticket to its sitting MP Rita tarai from the seat.

In a similar move, Naveen Patnaik has dropped its sitting Bhadrak MP Arjun Charan Sethi this time and given ticket to newbie Manjulata Mandal instead.

Former Works Secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan, who recently joined the BJD after taking voluntary retirement, is the party candidate from Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. The party dropped its sitting MP Nagendra Kumar Pradhan.

Similarly, the party denied ticket to its sitting MP from Jagatsinghpur Kulamani Samal and fielded Rajashri Mallick as its candidate for the upcoming polls.

The BJD, however, retained its sitting Puri MP Pinaki Mishra and re-nominated him from the same constituency. Mishra will face BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra in the forthcoming election.

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly constituencies, which will face simultaneous polls in four phases from April 11.