BERHAMPUR: The delay by the ruling BJD in announcing its candidate for Aska, the second Parliamentary seat of Ganjam district after Berhampur, has left the party workers in the constituency in a quandary.
As per reports, top leaders are on horns of a dilemma over candidate selection following the death of sitting MP Ladu Kishore Swain last month. The party, which is yet to be defeated from the seat, will have to select new candidate for the key Lok Sabha constituency.
Though there are many aspirants, the regional outfit may shift Berhampur MP Sidhanta Mohapatra to the seat. Apart from Mohapatra, names of former Union Minister Chandrasekhar Sahu, Nityananda Pradhan and veteran legislator V Sugnana Kumari Deo are doing rounds.
Sahu, who was elected to 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 from Congress, joined BJD last year and appointed party vice president. Pradhan had quit CPI to join the ruling party in 2008 and was elected to 15th Lok Sabha from the seat in 2009. Nine time MLA and royal family member Deo is also in the reckoning.
Sources said the politically conscious constituency was once the bastion of the CPI and Congress. However, voter discarded both the national parties in 1996 when former chief minister Biju Patnaik won the seat from Janata Dal. Aska was also the turf of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik who won the seat thrice. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Legislative Assembly from Hinjili, one of the seven Assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituency.
Similarly, the CPI which was extending support to Naveen during his initial political career, has decided to cross its sword with the BJD this time. Though talks are yet to be finalised, sources said Congress will leave Aska seat for the CPI. The State unit of CPI will formally declare the party’s candidates for Aska Lok Sabha and some Assembly seats in next two to three days.Riding on Modi wave, the BJP has also strengthened its vote bank in different pockets with a membership drive. Driven by the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at least half a dozen are in the BJP ticket race.