Basant Panda said the party will forward its proposal to the national leadership in this regard.

BJP's Odisha unit today said that party leaders and workers want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contest from the Puri constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit President Basant Panda said the party will forward its proposal to the national leadership in this regard. Pinaki Mishra is the BJD lawmaker from Puri at present.

"We want the Prime Minister to contest the 2019 elections from Puri. However, the final decision will be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board," said Mr Panda.

He said that the BJP leaders hope that party's prospects will improve significantly in Odisha if Prime Minister Modi contests from the coastal belt, a stronghold of ruling Biju Janata Dal.

He claimed that the party will bag more than 120 of the 147 Assembly seats.

Odisha will witness both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2019.