Bargarh: The Bhatli Assembly constituency in this district is the second largest after Padmapur.
This constituency was once a citadel of the Congress and the BJP, but slipped into the BJD bag with its candidates winning twice.
Observers said that farmers’ problems like continuous crop losses, debts, demand to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy and irrigation facilities will dominate the election here this time. The party which wins the trust of farmers will emerge victorious.
The BJP and the Congress have fielded new faces this time after senior leaders failed to make their mark in this constituency. Five candidates are contesting from this seat.
The BJP has fielded Irashis Acharya, while Saroj Kumar Mohapatra is the Congress candidate. Narayan Bhesra is the BSP candidate here.
The BJD has once again relied on Susant Singh by fielding him for the third time from this seat. This has warmed up politics in the area making this election a prestige issue for the BJP, Congress as well as the BJD.
This constituency is close to Chhattisgarh where the Congress wrested power by defeating the BJP.
Therefore, the Congress is hoping that the success in Chhattisgarh will help it win in this constituency. It has also thrashed out a new strategy to battle the BJD and BJP. Congress leaders and workers hope that the schemes for farmers, youth and labourers announced in the party manifesto will help it win this seat.
On the other hand, BJP leaders hope that the ‘Modi wave’ will help attract voters and pave way for a change in power in the state. They are wooing voters on the development plank of the Modi government at the Centre.
The BJD, which is on a winning streak since 2009, is approaching the voters with the development projects implemented in the area by the Naveen government.
A voter, Tejraj Hota of Jhankarpali village, said that whoever is able to help backward groups of the area and promises to bring all-round development will get his vote. He said that no one has been able to do anything good for farmers in the last 20 years.
Farmer leader Hara Bania of Sarakanda village said that farmers were leading a miserable life due to the anti-farmer policies of the governments at the state as well as at the Centre.
“The problems of irrigation and paddy MSP are still unresolved and we will give a befitting reply to the parties that have taken farmers for a ride,” he added.
BJD candidate Susant Singh said that roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) have been built in 308 of 316 villages in the constituency, which he has been representing for the last 10 years.
Many riverside villages have been connected with bridges under the Biju Setu Yojana and irrigation facilities have been made available in over 70,000 acres in the area, he said.
He said he is seeking votes on the strength of development projects carried out in the area during the last 19 years of the BJD government.
BJP candidate Irasis Acharya said that he is contesting for the first time and is seeking votes on the development plank of Narendra Modi at the Centre and the failure of the BJD government in the state to meet people’s expectations.
Congress candidate Saroj Mohapatra said that farmers were always at the receiving end in the area due to lack of irrigation projects and that they were continuously losing crops. He said he is seeking votes with the promises made to farmers in the Congress manifesto, like increasing paddy MSP to Rs 2,600.
BSP candidate Narayan Bhesra said that he will give priority to resolving the unemployment problem.
PNN