Bhograi: The BJD, the BJP and the Congress have stepped up their campaign in Bhograi Assembly constituency.
The BJD has announced its list of candidates in 54 Assembly seats and in the nine Lok Sabha seats of Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Berhampur, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska.
The opposition has been trying to bring about a political change in this seat while the ruling BJD is trying to retain it.
The SUCI (C) is likely to field a candidate here this time. The seat is likely to see a tough contest, and all parties have several ticket hopefuls.
Bhograi, an important Assembly seat in Odisha, is on the West Bengal border and has 50 panchayats.
Bhograi was once a Congress bastion, but its fortress started crumbling from 1990 after the Janata Dal and then Biju Janata Dal won from here.
Earlier, the fight used to be between the Congress and the Janata Dal. In 2009, the BJP began gaining strength here.
Retired government officer Ananta Das joined the BJD and contested the 2004 Assembly polls successfully. He was elected thrice consecutively and is the current higher education minister.
Before that Congress leader Dr Kartikeswar Patra was elected from here. Freedom fighter Pyarimohan Das was elected from here twice. Dr Kamala Das was elected from this seat thrice.
The BJP seems to be upbeat about its success here in the coming polls. BJP cadres are busy trying to build their base, while the Congress is trying to mollify its disgruntled leaders. BJD workers are also trying to set right their organisation here.
At present party hopping and infighting are going on in all parties here. Congress leader Satyashiba Das, who had contested the last Assembly polls, is hopeful of getting ticket.
The BJP had fielded retired government official Paresh Chandra Nayak in 2014. He is also hopeful of getting the party’s ticket. Others who are lobbying for the BJP ticket are Sanjib Kumar Sahu, Manas Ranjan Mohanty and another leader.
If SUCI fields a candidate the electoral arithmetic may change, political analysts say.
The incumbent BJD MLA Ananta Das is hopeful his party would field him a fourth time. Litterateur Goutam Buddha Das is also in the run for the BJD ticket.
BJD district secretary Tapan Panda, social activist Bibudendu Patra and lawyer Bhubanananda Das are the others in the race for the BJD ticket.
Political observers say that if the BJD goes by the 33 per cent reservation norm it may field women leaders like ZP chairperson Nibedita Mohanty and block chairperson Manjurani Behera.
Congress ticket hopeful Satyashiba Das said, “There were large scale irregularities in matters like education, health, tourism, ration card allotments and in granting pensions. Unemployment is also a major issue. The Congress has long been campaigning about these issues. If the party gives me the ticket I have a strong chance of winning.”
BJP hopeful Paresh Chandra Nayak said, “The party has been trying its best to make the mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a success. I have been trying to consolidate the party base here by maintaining a balance between the young and senior leaders. The BJP will definitely win this time.”
Other BJP leaders like Sanjib Kumar Sahu and Manas Ranjan Mohanty also asserted that the saffron party will win the seat.
BJD heavyweight Ananata Das said, “I will win if I am given the ticket. I will get all incomplete projects completed if I win.” He gave credit for all development projects here to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The number of voters in this constituency is 2,15,710, including 1,02,363 female voters.
2014 election results
Party Candidate Votes
BJD Ananta das 76, 761
Cong Satyashiba Das 57, 249
BJP Paresh Ch Nayak 15,304
PNN