Kendrapara: With the demise of BJD’s candidate for the Patkura Assembly constituency in 2019 polls Bed Prakash Agarwalla, cancellation of general elections there is all but official. This, however, brings reasonable uncertainty and nervousness to senior BJP leader Bijoy Mahapatra -who has not been able to make it to the Assembly for nearly two decades now.
The Patkura Assembly constituency was scheduled to go to polls this April 29. However, with his demise campaign has come to a standstill. Ambiguity reigns supreme and the same has become obvious in the enthusiasm of the workers of BJP and BJD that had been working 24X7 for their candidates.
That said, the demise of Agarwalla has given a severe blow to Bijoy’s Assembly aspirations as well.
Bed won Assembly elections from Kendrapara seat at different times and he served as a minister with important portfolios. After Kendrapara seat became reserved for SC candidates, he opted for Patkura and won that seat twice on BJD ticket, in 2009 and 2014.
BJD again nominated him to counter Bijoy in Patkura during 2019 polls. While the latter had contested from Mahakalpara in 2014, he had to face defeat from Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. This time Bijoy preferred to file his nomination paper from Patkura instead – where he has pretty strong support base and had intensified his campaign.
At that time, pundits speculated that Bed Prakash’s illness would pave the way for Bijoy. His close friend Dillip Ray too came forward to help in his campaign. From several fronts, Bijoy was well ahead from Bed Prakash this time around.
However, the demise of Agarwalla has eclipsed the fate of Bijoy, as many political observers have pointed out.
Even though Bed Prakash’s son and wife had visited Naveen Niwas and requested party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to give the ticket Bed’s son citing his ill health, ticket was only given to the old war horse. It is said, he was hospitalised at the time of ticket distribution. After convalescing, he filed his nomination papers. However, he was again down with illness and never returned to the field after filing his nomination papers.
Even though the Election Commission is yet to take a call on the schedule of elections here, it is obvious that the competition would be significantly tougher given that the Assembly elections would have been over by that time and both BJP and BJD will go all guns blazing into the polls here. To add to the worry, if BJD chooses to field Bed Prakash’s son, he is likely to win the sympathy vote making matters worse for Bijoy.
As it appears now, Mohapatra’s political fate hangs in balance.
Coming to the next schedule of the poll for this seat, Kendrapara District Election Officer and Collector Dasarathy Satpathy said, “The State Chief Election Officer will be intimated about Bed Prakash’s death only after receiving his death certificate. According to the directive of the Election Commissioner, polls in this constituency would take place within next six months,” he informed.
After receiving report from Kendrapara District Electoral Officer, the State Chief Electoral Officer would intimate the Election Commissioner regarding the postponement of elections in Patkura Assembly constituency.
PNN