Jagatsinghpur: Around 10,000 people are expected to attend the convention to be organised by Paradip MLA Damodar Rout at the Balikuda-Erasama assembly constituency October 11.
The Congress has already announced its moral support to Rout.
Considering the latest developments, the political observers are keenly watching the future course of action of MLA Prashant Muduli.
Dama, who was elected as MLA from this constituency several times, has a good number of supporters here. Besides, his native place is in Erasama block.
Rout has been planning strategies to ensure the defeat of Prashant, reports said.
Besides, Dama has also been trying to get the support of senior BJD leaders and supporters here.
“Dama is a senior leader. The party will extend its moral support to him,” said Congress leader Lalatendu Mohapatra.
Sarada Prasanna Jena, another Congress leader, has openly supported Dama and was present at a convention organised by the latter in Erasama.
Moreover, Dama has a good equation with PCC working president and Jagatsinghpur MLA Chiranjib Biswal.
According to political observers, Dama would either contest with the support of Congress or he would extend his support to the opposition party.
In the 2014 election, BJD received 69,335 votes, which is 19.61 percent less than what it polled in 2009. But in the last Panchayat election its vote has surged to 1,04, 093.
Similarly, Congress received 39, 981 votes, which is 15.4 percent less than the votes it garnered in 2009.
However, Congress leader Sarada Prasanna Jena had contested as an independent candidate and bagged 23, 948 votes.
In the Panchayat election, the party received 64,605 votes.
The situation of BJP is not rosy either. BJP garnered a total of 3,724 votes. Raghunandan Das, who is now a BJP leader after leaving BJD, contested the election as an independent candidate and bagged 32,135 votes.
In the last Panchayat election, the saffron party received 26,462 votes only.
PNN