Baripada: With electioneering heating up, political pundits have started analysing political equations in Morada and Rairangpur Assembly seats in Mayurbhanj district, particularly after senior leader Rajkishore Das left BJP and joined BJD along with his hundreds of supports.
His crossover has come at a time when the saffron party has not yet cleared the haze about candidature for these two seats.
Das is said to have good clout over the people due to his years of organisation in these two Assembly segments.
Political analysts say that the saffron party will be on the back foot after Das deserted it for the ruling party.
With elections at the door, Das along with Morada MLA Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo is expected to make a dent into the BJP base.
However, president of Mayurbhanj district’s BJP unit, Dr Krushna Chandra Mohapatra downplayed the possible impacts of Das leaving the party.
Mohapatra asserted that there would be no impact of Das on the party’s organisation in the district.
On the other hand, Das is keen to contest polls. However, the crux of the problem is the BJD has another ticket aspirant for Morada seat.
Political pundits say if the BJD fields Das in Morada segment, other ticket aspirants are likely to revolt.
There are five ticket aspirants from Morada seat. Among them are sitting MLA Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo, executive president of district unit of BJD Debasish Mohanty and youth leader Krushna Chandra Das.
Significantly, Debasish Mohanty is keen on contesting from the seat as the report card of the incumbent MLA is said to be not so impressive.
Das said his supporters want to contest elections. Given this situation, both the BJD and BJP are in a dilemma over candidature. Reliable sources said two candidates of BJP are keen to throw their hats in the elections.
The BJP has announced names of party nominees in five Assembly segments while it has left voters waiting to know the names of its candidate in these two seats.
Das had been working for the BJP in these two constituencies for the last 40 years. After his resignation, the saffron party is said to suffer reverses in the polls.
The BJP, which is calculating the changing political equation, has not yet cleared names of nominees for Morada and Rairangpur.
Das, who claimed to have felt neglected by the state BJP leadership, has put the blame on a Union minister.
He had said, “I have dedicated 40 years for the service of the BJP. But a Union minister exercising his clout has been trying to bring the state leadership under his control. I have been sidelined for the last four years at the behest of the Union minister.”
Some supporters of Das infer that he could be sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJD, while some want him to contest the polls.
PNN