Berhampur: With only a few days left for the first phase of Parliamentary and Assembly elections, electioneering has gained momentum in the Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency. Polls will be held here April 11.
Though eight candidates are in the fray, the contest will be among the nominees of three major parities — the BJD, the BJP and the Congress — in the seat.
The BJD has fielded veteran Chandra Sekhar Sahu while the Congress has fielded V Chandra Sekhar Naidu. The BJP has fielded Bhrugu Buxipatra. He has been making all-out efforts to give a tough fight to the two Chandra Sekhars.
As both Buxipatra and Naidu are from outside Berhampur, Sahu is hopeful of electoral advantage in garnering the support of voters. Some sections of the electorate are confused over the same names of two contestants.
Sahu is seeking a mandate as an MP from the seat for the second time. This time he is in the BJD while he had unsuccessfully contested on Congress tickets twice– in 2009 and 2014. He was elected on a Congress ticket in 2004 and was a minister in the UPA government.
Sahu had joined the BJD April 4, 2018 after seeing the falling base of the Congress in the constituency. BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is said to have banked on the organisational experience and ability of Sahu and fielded him as the MP nominee.
The Congress has introduced industrialist V Chandra Sekhar Naidu, a political greenhorn, as its nominee.
The AICC has a reason to field Naidu in this seat, though he is a political novice and is not well acquainted with the constituency and the electorate.
The Parliamentary seat has a sizeable Telugu-speaking population and Naidu has advantage of encashing the people’s support.
On the other hand, the BJP has fielded Bhrugu Buxipatra, the general secretary of the state unit of the saffron party. He is a native of undivided Koraput district. There were several leaders from Berhampur aspiring for the party ticket. But the saffron party preferred Buxipatra to challenge both a veteran and a political novice.
To mobilise support for Buxipatra, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other party stalwarts have campaigned in Gajapati district.
Buxipatra has intensified his campaign basing on the performance of the Modi government at the Centre and by highlighting the failures of the state government.
The Congress nominee has been able to spread his campaign in seven Assembly segments under the Parliamentary seat.
He is being assisted by Congress district unit president Trinath Behera, executive president Pitabasa Panda, and other party functionaries in the campaign.
Naidu has been promising the people to set up agro-based industries, build the Gopalpur port as an all-weather port and establish an airport in the constituency.
He is laying stress on industrialisation so as to stem the labour migration from the area.
The BJD nominee Sahu is a veteran in politics. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik campaigned for him and other MLA nominees in Berhampur Wednesday.
Sahu is upbeat about electoral success with a BJD ticket this time.
The constituency comprises seven Assembly segments — Chhatrapur (SC), Gopalpur, Berhampur, Digapahandi, Chikiti, Mohana (ST) and Paralakhemundi.
In 2014, the BJD nominees were elected from six out of the seven Assembly segments under the Parliamentary constituency.
The Congress nominee was elected from Paralakhemundi Assembly seat.
Year-wise poll results
2014
Siddhant Mahapatra (BJD) 3,98,107
Chandra Sekhar Sahu (INC) 2,70,387
2009
Siddhant Mahapatra (BJD) 3,19,839
Chandra Sekhar Sahu (INC) 2,62,552
2004
Chandra Sekhar Sahu (INC) 3,55,973
Anadi Sahu (BJP) 3,04,316
1999
Anadi Sahu (BJP) 3,10,704
Jayanti Patnaik (INC) 2,56,581
1998
Jayanti Patnaik (INC) 2,71,044
Gopinath Gajapati (BJP) 2,35,804
1996
P V Narasimha Rao (INC) 3,40,555
V Sugnana Kumari Deo (JD) 1,72,015
1991
Gopinath Gajapati (INC) 2,35,260
Surya Narayan Patro (JD) 1,61,436
1989
Gopinath Gajapati (INC) 2,32,082
Surya Narayan Patro (JD) 2,17,336
1984
R Jagannath Rao (INC) 2,35,466
Surya Narayan Patra (JNP) 90,606
1980
R Jagannath Rao (INC) 1,58,990
Ramanath Das (JNP-S) 44,820
1977
R Jagannath Rao (INC) 1,19,132
VV Giri (BLD) 69,043
PNN