Nuapada: With general election approaching, the political atmosphere here is gradually turning hot. Voters of Nuapada are conscious, and have always preferred capable leaders irrespective of political parties.
This time too many new faces are in the race for tickets. However, all political parties are assessing the winning chances of the hopefuls. As elections get closer, political parties are giving finishing touches to their lists of candidates.
The Nuapada district has five blocks and three Notified Area Councils, of which Nuapada and Komna blocks fall in the Nuapada Assembly constituency (No: 71).
The Nuapada Assembly constituency is important as very often it has elected representatives for the state leadership. A recent survey says there are 2,24,052 voters and 258 booths in the 62 village panchayats of this constituency.
Of the voters, the number of males is 1,12,076 while and the number of females is 1,11,945. The number of other voters is 31.
After Independence, Nuapada became a Congress seat. Janata Dal won it in 1980s under Biju Patnaik’s leadership. Ghasiram Majhi set a record by representing this constituency for 25 long years. After 2000, it went to the BJP.
The BJD represented this constituency twice in 2004 and 2009. The BJP regained it in 2014 when Basant Panda exploited the anti-incumbency wave against BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia.
After winning from here, Basant Panda became the party’s state president. Voters here say that after that he never came back, and focussed on earning a name for himself in state as well as in national politics.
Nuapada has mostly followed the trend of changing political parties and leaders in every election. This time also there is a high possibility of leadership change.
A look at the last ZP elections indicates that the vote percentage of the BJP has come down in Nuapada. The vote percentage of the BJD shot in the ZP polls and enabled it to get majority. However, it could not win the chairman’s post due to internal bickering.
The Congress bagged the chairman’s post as its vote percentage increased and as it had won five seats in the ZP. Both the Congress and the BJD are ahead of the BJP in votes.
In the present scenario, the BJD’s ex-MLA, who is also the district president of the party, seems to be ahead of others in the ticket race. No other BJD leader is presenting a strong claim for the party ticket.
The ex-MLA has a good image in social service, education and health services and his deep loyalty to the party makes him hopeful of getting the ticket and winning as well.
Similarly, Bhanupratap Singh Majhi, the nephew of the late Ghasiram Majhi, who was once suspended from the party and reinstated, is hopeful about serving the constituency to fulfil the dreams of his uncle. He may contest as an Independent candidate, if he is not given the party ticket.
Saroj Kumar Sahu, vice-president of the State Cricket Association, who had joined the BJD a year ago, and could establish himself in the party, is another ticket claimant. He is also hopeful of winning, if he is given a chance.
The president of the BJP’s state unit, Basant Panda, may contest either to the Assembly or the LS. So many hopefuls are queuing up for the BJP ticket.
The former ZP chairman, Khama Singh Majhi, who is a state leader of the Scheduled Castes cell in the Congress, is also hoping for a party ticket. One of the oldest members of the Congress and former president of its district unit, Jadumani Panigrahi, is also in the run for the party ticket.
The former chairman of the ZP and the Zilla Prabhari of the women’s wing of her party, Jemamani Dharua, may also contest.
The voters of Nuapada Assembly constituency have numerous problems, and have mostly opted for capable candidates rather than a particular party. They are waiting to see the candidates fielded by various political parties.
PNN
