Dhamnagar: The 46th Assembly constituency of the state — Dhamnagar in Bhadrak district — consists of Dhamnagar block, the NAC and 12 panchayats of Tihidi block. This reserved seat has 1, 88, 975 voters, including 76,756 women. Significantly, 5,303 new voters have been added.
Floods and droughts are said to be alternatively affecting the agrarian economy in the Assembly segment, crisscrossed by rivers like Baitarani, Kochila, Genguti, Reba and Kapali.
Earlier, leaders like Muralidhar Jena, Satyabhama Jena, Hrudananda Mallick, Jagannath Rout, Manas Ranjan Mallick, Manmohan Samal and Rajendra Das were elected from this seat. Muktikant Mandal now represents the seat.
Until recently, the electoral fights used to be between Congress and Janata Dal, but since 2004 the seat has been under non-Congress parties. BJP’s Manmohan Samal, BJD’s Rajendra Das and Mukikat Mandal were elected from this segment.
While the BJD and the Congress have been busy working out electoral arithmetic on ticket distribution, the BJP is said to have finalised its nominee, but is yet to announce it.
Since the last panchayat elections, groupism has been the bane of the BJD. Ahead of the panchayat elections, the BJD had dismissed the former block president Ashok Nayak from the party. Nayak joined the BJP and came out victorious. He was elected as block chairman for the second time. Moreover, the saffron had bagged all the four Zilla Parishad seats in the segment.
For the last three years, the BJD has not been able to settle its infighting. A section of BJD workers has been opposing the candidature of MLA Muktikant Mandal and favouring Rajendra
Das for the party ticket in the coming elections.
On the other hand, the MLA has been carrying on his developmental works and trying to retain his supporters. While
The BJD has two ticket aspirants, the BJP has been promoting leader Bishnu Sethi.
However, the Congress has a bit of problem to deal with three ticket aspirants. Ranjan Behera and Dr Bidyadhar Jena are the frontrunners for the party ticket.
Political analysts say if the Congress can keep its flock together, the electoral battle will be more intense this time.
BJP leader Bishnu Sethi said, he got defeated by BJD nominees twice by just a thin margin of votes. “The ruling party has always neglected the elected representatives of the opposition parties and tried to kill democratic values. I have always fought for the development of the area. I have faith in the electorate of Dhamnagar.”
MLA Muktikant Mandal said, “After cancelling the ticket of Rajendra Das, party high command Naveen Patnaik had sent me from Basudevpur to fight poll at Dhamnagar. In the last five years, I have worked tirelessly on several projects like some embankments in flood hit areas, facilitating tourism tag to Gohiratikiri and Lunia, development of Gandhi ghat, construction of Kothar bypass road, NAC tag to Dhamnagar, Rajya Jara Nivas, a stadium, parks, milk pasteurisation centre, a model school, and other projects. I am hopeful of party ticket and will do the remaining work.”
Former MLA Rajendra Das said, “I have been working as a disciplined party worker with the state leadership. I hope for the ticket this time. During my tenure, I had worked in sectors like flood control, healthcare, education, irrigation, communication and connectivity. If I am elected, I will carry out the development agenda of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.”
Congress leaders Dr Bidyahar Jena and Ranjan Behera said that they have been working as disciplined party workers and will work in the same way in the coming days.
2014 Assembly election results
Party Candidate Votes
BJD Muktikant Mandal 71,538
BJP Bishnu Sethi 62,346
Congress Hurdananda Mallick 12,046
PNN