It is perceived that this year in Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections in Odisha, the BJP striving hard to wage a tough electoral fight against BJD to increase the number of winning seats compared to 2019. While the regional party BJD with 25 years tenure resist BJP’s advances in all its four corners.
The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s firm leadership leaves no room for BJP to tryst displacing BJD in the eastern state. Having keen eyes on electoral set-up, Naveen Patnaik has fielded Pranab Prakash Das, the BJD’s organisational Secretary next to CM, in Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against BJP’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the candidate for the same seat. Interestingly, Dharmendra Pradhan returning to contest in Odisha after a gap of 15 years when he first represented Lok Sabha constituency in 2004-2009 from Deogarh. In 2019 election this prestigious seat was won by Nitish Gangadeb of BJP in Sambalpur constituency. It is ascertained that Sambalpur is BJP’s stronghold as it was seen that out of 7 Assembly seats BJP won three seats in 2019.
All eyes are set on Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency wherein the BJD has fielded Dilip Tirkey the former captain of Indian Hockey, representing the BJD Rajya Sabha, to face a tough electoral battle with the former Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram. It is seen that Tirkey comes from Christian background whereas Oram dwells in the hearts of remote tribal communities.
In 2019, the national spokesperson of BJP Aparajita Sarangi won the Lok Sabha seat from Bhubaneswar. Shrouded in mystery, the BJD has fielded debutant Manmath Routray who recently joined the BJD, the son of a renowned Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray, as Lok Sabha candidate from Bhubaneswar to face the same opponent Aparijita Sarangi who had already tasted the winning-pie previously.
The high profile Lok Sabha seat of Puri constituency, the BJP named Sambit Patra, the national spokesperson, to try his political skill for the second time in holy land of Trinity. The regional party BJD has declared Arup Patnaik, former Police Commissioner as its Puri Lok Sabha candidate to face the brunt. Eventually, BJP will leave no stone unturned to prove equal to the task of political forerunners.
However, BJP has given priority to field Baijyant Panda in Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat who came out victorious twice and is quite optimistic of winning for the third time against BJD’s newcomer to the party Ansuman Mohanty. It is true, the darkest cloud has a silver lining and BJD hopes to bring back its lost glory now to save its political bastion.
The political observers are of the opinion that BJD though strongly positioned itself yet to face a tough electoral battle in both Lok Sabha and Assembly segments in the coming poll as Congress occupied a distant position. Some soothsayers aver the BJD could not be dislodged for as long as Naveen Patnaik is at the helm. It is Naveen Patnaik who decided to contest from Hinjili Assembly constituency looks no further. The BJD’s political ideology is emphatically questioned by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, while addressing a public meeting in Subarnapur district on 25th April, told people that the researchers termed the ruling State by BJD as “lost years ” since its growth and development was the same as it was 20 years ago and appealed to the people for a change to make a consensus progress as compared to others states where “double engine” government has accelerated development.
Naveen Patnaik formed BJD in 1997 and to keep up the father’s legacy Biju Patnaik, the political stalwart, BJD emerged as a prominent regional force giving tough stance to national parties like Congress in the past and BJP in the present scenario.
Whatever may be the say, there is no denying that Naveen Patnaik seeking a sixth term would undoubtedly make him the longest serving Chief Minister in the country.
