BARGARH: The Bargarh Parliamentary constituency is all set to witness a fight between two political heavyweights, known for their oratory skills.Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya and BJP’s National Secretary Suresh Pujari will lock horns in the battle for the constituency. Acharya fought the 2014 elections from Bijepur Assembly constituency as a BJD candidate.
However, he was defeated by Congress’ Subal Sahu by a slender margin of 458 votes. Prior to this, he was the Finance Minister of Odisha after winning from the Rairakhol Assembly segment in Sambalpur in the 2009 polls. Acharya had also represented the prestigious Sambalpur Parliamentary constituency thrice in a row in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Earlier, he was MLA from Bargarh Assembly segment in 1990 and 1995.
Acharya had actively participated in the Jayaprakash Narayan movement and was imprisoned under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during Emergency for 19 months. A resident of Bargarh town, the senior leader, who holds BA and LLB degrees, is well known across the State for his oratory skills.
Pujari, the former State BJP president, came to limelight during a students’ movement in the early 1980s. He fought the 2014 elections as a BJP candidate from the Sambalpur Parliamentary constituency and was defeated by Nagendra Pradhan of BJD by a margin of 30,576 votes. He had also fought from Brajrajnagar Assembly segment thrice in a row as a BJP candidate in 2000, 2004 and 2009 but was defeated by Congress’ Anup Kumar Sai by narrow margins on all the three occasions.
Earlier, he was elected as the chairman of Sambalpur Municipality in 1992. Pujari, a resident of Sambalpur city, has completed his M Sc in Physics and also holds an LLB degree. Like Acharya, the senior saffron party leader is also known for his oratory skills. He is also in the list of saffron party’s star campaigners for the State.
Congress has nominated Bargarh-based businessman Pradip Debata from the constituency. Debata, who is contesting the elections for the first time, will face a tough fight from the two stalwarts, feel political observers.
The Bargarh Parliamentary constituency was carved out after delimitation ahead of 2009 polls. The constituency comprises Bargarh, Attabira, Bijepur, Bhatli and Padampur Assembly constituencies in Bargarh district besides Jharsuguda and Brajrajnagar Assembly segments in Jharsuguda district.
The seat is presently being represented by BJD MP Prabhas Kumar Singh. Prabhas had defeated his nearest rival Subash Chouhan of BJP by a margin of 11,178 votes in 2014.