KENDRAPARA: With the election process starting formally here, the leaders of all major political parties, including ticket hopefuls, have started visiting their constituencies to strengthen their bases. The Assembly and Parliamentary elections will be held here during the fourth phase April 29.
Patkura is one of the most important seats in the district as well as the state as it is the home of several leaders like Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Bijay Mohapatra, Archana Nayak, Jayant Mohanty and others.
The people of Patkura are reportedly upset with their BJD MLA Bed Prakash Agarwalla as the veteran leader has lost ground among voters.
Although many development projects were undertaken by the Naveen Patnaik government in the last five years corruption rules the roost here due to the unholy nexus between politicians and the BDOs of Garadpur and Derabish blocks.
Many eligible beneficiaries have failed to get their names enrolled in poverty alleviation schemes like Indira Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, NFSA, SFSA, Biju Gramin Jyoti Yojana and the KALIA Yojana here.
The river embankments and breach points of canals here were repaired using sub-standard material, and this has turned the voters against sitting the local MLA.
If the two-time sitting MLA Bed Prakash Agarwalla who won last time with the highest margin in the district gets the BJD ticket then party workers may not campaign for him as they were reportedly neglected by him. Age has also caught up with the veteran leader. Party workers expect Naveen to field a new face from here.
Some of the prominent hopefuls who are all set to join the BJD ticket race in Patkura are Tejeswar Parida, chairman of the Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board, BJD secretaries Rabi Samal and Pramod Sahu, Santanu Nayak, the brother of Mahakalapara MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, educationalist Ajay Rout, Amaresh Patri, the state president of BJD youth wing, and Saroj Sahu, chairman of Derabish block.
Some women candidates are also in the race for the BJD ticket. They are Swarajlaxmi Samal, secretary of Biju Yuba Janata Dal and Kanakalata Kanth.
There are rumours that if Bed Prakash Agarwalla does not get the BJD ticket then he would lobby for his son, Sanjay Agarwalla.
Political observers say that former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak will also try to get a BJD ticket for his brother Santanu Nayak to contest from Patkura.
BJP leader Utkal Keshari Parida is all set to contest from Patkura as he is one of the favourites. The popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi may win votes for Parida. Apart from that he is also a former MLA of Kendrapara, who had defeated Bed Prakash Agarwalla.
Another person who is in the race for the BJP ticket is Manas Ranjan Mohanty, the BJP candidate who was defeated in 2014 in Patkura. Umakant Pattanaik and Ashok Tripathy are also in the race for the BJP ticket.
If Congress leaders remain united then a neck to neck triangular fight between the three parties can be seen here. Congress leaders like Jayanta Mohanty, who lost in Patkura last time, is preparing to contest from here.
DCC president Chinmaya Behura is also in the race for the Congress ticket.
Political observers say that it would be a triangular fight this time in Patkura as the three major parties have started preparations to woo voters.