Bhubaneswar, March 19 -- While party hopping has become the order of the day this election season, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has managed to persuade two leaders - Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik and Kishore Kumar Mohanty - by assuring them of party tickets who found no mention in the first list of contestants for the upcoming polls.

Five-time MLA Ramesh Chyau Patnaik and his supporters had expressed discontentment over denial of party ticket to contest from Berhampur assembly segment. Similarly, chairman of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) and former Jharsuguda MLA Kishore Mohanty was seemingly upset over the same.

As a damage control exercise, the party leadership has decided to give Rajya Sabha ticket to Chyau Patnaik. A party i...