Kendrapara: All eyes were on the Kendrapara LS seat as BJP’s vice-president and four-time MP, Baijayant Panda, was contesting from here for the first time on a BJP ticket against actor–turned Rajya Sabha MP, Anubhav Mohanty.
The entire nation was waiting anxiously for the poll results from Kendrapara, which is an anti-Congress bastion, to see whether Panda will win or it would remain a BJD citadel.
The seat once again proved to be an anti-Congress bastion and a BJD fortress after Mohanty won by defeating Panda with a margin of 1,52,584 votes.
While Mohanty secured 6,28,939 votes, Panda could manage only 4,76,355 votes. Congress candidate Dharanidhar Nayak came third with just 1,13,841 votes.
Panda had won twice from Kendrapara LS seat in 2009 and 2014. He was also a two-time Rajya Sabha MP from 2000 to 2009 due to his closeness to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
He fell out of favour and was suspended from the BJD last year for anti-party activities. Later, he resigned from the party as well as from the Lok Sabha.
It was once again proved here in ‘Bijukarmabhumi’ that those who reject the BJD will be rejected by the people of Kendrapara as they love the late Biju Patnaik and his son Naveen. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the district to campaign for Panda it did not work.
While addressing the media after his victory, Mohanty thanked the people of Kendrapara for supporting him. He thanked th Chief Minister too for reposing faith in him, and for giving him an opportunity to contest against the BJP’s vice-president.
“I will give importance to industrialisation and to create jobs, ensure piped water supply to every household, provide better health services and also develop roads in the district,” said Anubhav Mohanty.
“The development of Kendrapara will be my first priority. For this I need the support of the people of Kendrapara,” he added.
PNN