Sambit Patra stirred controversy ahead of the Puri Lok Sabha polling by stating that "Lord Jagannath is a devotee (bhakt) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," a comment he later retracted as a "slip of the tongue." The Puri constituency will vote on May 25 during the sixth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Odisha, which has 21 Lok Sabha seats, currently sees Patra of BJP, Jaya Narayan of Congress, and BJD's Arup Patnaik vying for the Puri seat, held by BJD's Pinaki Misra. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condemned Patra's remarks, stating they insult "Odia Asmita."
