Jajpur: Prominent leaders will try their luck in the elections to the seven Assembly seats under Jajpur Lok Sabha constituency to be held in the fourth phase Monday.
These leaders are from the BJD, the BJP and the Congress. Among them, BJD heavyweights Amar Prasad Satapathy from Barchana, Preetiranjan Ghadai from Sukinda and Pranab Prakash Das from Jajpur eye hat-trick from their constituencies while Pramila Mallick from the same party eyes a record fifth time win from Binjharpur Assembly seat.
A total of 61 candidates are contesting from seven Assembly seats and the Jajpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Former energy minister and BJD heavyweight Pranab Prakash Das aka Bobby has been winning from the Jajpur Assembly seat since 2009. This time, he is pitted against BJP’s Goutam Ray and Congress’ Santosh Nanda.
The Assembly seat is witnessing a two-cornered contest where the fight is between the BJD and the BJP. The BJP has made corruption and irregularities in various works on the pretext of development as its poll plank while the BJD is trying to woo the voters banking upon the developmental works of the Naveen Patnaik government.
Senior leader Pramila Mallick of BJD is contesting from Binjharpur Assembly seat against BJP nominee Babita Mallick and Congress nominee Manoranjan Das. Observers said this Assembly seat is witnessing a triangular contest where Pramila is facing a tough fight from her two contenders. Pramila is contesting election from this seat for the fifth time.
The Assembly seat had earned a bad name for pulses scam and irregularities in various housing schemes for which the anti-incumbency factor has come into play in this seat.
Former minister and BJP chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy is contesting from Barchana Assembly seat. The anti-incumbency factor is haunting him even though no heavyweight leader is contesting against him.
The BJP nominee Amar Nayak who contested as an Independent in the last election is giving him a tough fight as veteran Congress leader Sitakanta Mohapatra refused to contest from the seat and returned back the party ticket. Satapathy will score a hat-trick if he wins from this seat.
The BJD nominee Pranab Balabantary is eyeing a second time win from Dharmasala Assembly seat as no prominent leaders from the Opposition are contesting against him.
Two traditional rivals Preetiranjan Ghadai from BJD and Sarat Rout from Congress and BJP nominee Pradip Bala Samant are contesting from the Sukinda Assembly seat.
This Assembly seat is witnessing a triangular contest where the mood of the voters is still unclear. Preetiranjan will score a hat-trick if he wins. Preetiranjan had won the 2009 elections from Korei Assembly seat and the 2014 elections from the Sukinda Assembly seat.
Former administrative officer Sharmistha Sethy is contesting as a BJD candidate from the Jajpur Lok Sabha seat. She is pitted against BJP’s Amiya Mallick and Congress’ Manas Mallick. This Lok Sabha seat is witnessing a two-cornered contest between the BJD and BJP.
