Congress eyeing 11 of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The Congress will concentrate more on 11 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in Odisha in the upcoming general elections, AICC screening committee member VD Satheesan said on Thursday.nn”We have better prospect in 11 Lok Sabha seats.nnHowever, the party will focus on all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha,” Satheesan said.nnThe AICC leader was talking to reporters after screening candidates for Jagatsinghpur and Puri Lok Sabha constituencies.nnThough Satheesan did not divulge the name of the 11 seats on which the party has been pinning hope, party sources said he was referring to constituencies where Congress nominees had finished second in the 2014 general elections.nnThough the Congress could not win any of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, its candidates finished second in Aska, Berhampur, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Kandhamal, Nawrangpur and Puri.nnThe BJP had won the Sundargarh seat in 2014 and was runners up in nine constituencies — Balasore, Bargarh, Bhubaneswar, Bolangir, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sambalpur.nnNaveeen Patnaik-led BJD had won in 20 Lok Sabha seats.nnAfter the second day’s screening of candidates, Satheesan said the party will give first priority to winnability and then to commitment to the party.nnHe also talked to various aspiring candidates for at least 14 Assembly segments under Jagatsinghpur and Puri Lok Sabha constituencies.nnSource: Press Trust of India