Koraput: A Congress bastion for decades till 2009 when it slipped into BJD control, the tribal dominated Koraput Lok Sabha constituency in south Odisha is set to witness a keen triangular contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
An intense battle appears to be on the cards with BJP fielding tribal heavyweight Jayaram Pangi, who had snatched the seat from Congress in 2009 as a BJD nominee defeating veteran leader and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang.
While Pangi is in the BJP camp this time, BJD nominee Kaushalya Hikaka and Congress candidate Saptagiri Ulaka are set to fight their maiden electoral battle in this constituency, where voting is slated to be held in the first phase, April 11.
What initially appeared to be a bipolar contest between the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD and Congress has now turned into a triangular fight with Pangi, an influential Kondh tribe leader, hitting the battle ground in his saffron avatar. While BJD has fielded the wife of its sitting MP Jhina Hikaka in its bid to retain the seat, Congress through Ulaka is trying to regain hold on a seat which it considers its bastion. In 2014 Jhina defeated Congress stalwart Gamang, who is now in BJP.
The abduction of Hikaka by Maoists who held him hostage for 34 days in 2012 appeared to have played a major role in the 2014 parliamentary elections. The situation has changed now with discontentment brewing in the area over tardy implementation of MPLAD funds and locals alleging that Jhina spent more time in Bhubaneswar that affected public outreach.
His wife Kaushalya, a school teacher in Bhubaneswar, however, is confident that she will get the support of the electorate. She said that the development programmes and welfare schemes undertaken by the BJD government in Odisha will go in her favour.
On the other hand, Ulaka who is considered a political novice, is hopeful of putting up an impressive show to regain Congress dominance in the seat under the ‘dynamic’ leadership of party chief Rahul Gandhi.
BJP, on its part, appears to have received considerable boost after former Chief Minister Gamang, who belongs to Saura tribal group, quit Congress and joined the BJP about two years ago. Saura happens to be the second largest dominant community after Kondh tribe in Koraput and Gamang still enjoys considerable following.
An estimated 14.08 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in Koraput (ST) constituency spread over seven assembly segments. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJD nominee had polled 39.93 per cent of votes in Koraput, followed by Congress share of 37.98 per cent, while BJP came third with 9.03 per cent votes.
Though the BJP put up a poor show, saffron leaders including party nominee Pangi are now in buoyant mood and say the party’s poll prospects in Koraput are bright because of the pro-poor and pro-tribal work done by Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre which ensured speedy development.
PTI