RAYAGADA: THE Congress has yet again wrested the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency from the BJD with political greenhorn Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka defeating the ruling party’s Kausalya Hikaka, also a newcomer, by a close margin of 3,613 votes.
While Saptagiri polled 3,71,129 votes, Kausalya secured 3,67,516 votes. The BJP’s former MP Jayram Pangi had to settle for the third spot with 2,08,398 votes.
Kausalya, wife of former MP Jhina Hikaka, was an unknown entity but she was confident of winning the constituency riding on BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik’s clean image in and Jhina’s popularity in the district. Pangi, similarly, was sure of a win owing to the Modi wave. However, Saptagiri, whose candidature met with protests from a section of Congress workers, surprised everyone and proved political observers wrong by winning the seat which witnessed a neck-to-neck fight between him and Kausalya.
Son of former minister late Rama Chandra Ulaka, 40-year-old Saptagiri holds a BTech certificate in Computer Science and has worked in firms like Infosys and HCL. He got the Congress ticket at the last minute and contested the election for the first time. During his campaigning, he had sought votes in the name of his father who was two-time MP from Koraput and seven-time MLA from Rayagada.
The Koraput Lok Sabha seat has seven Assembly segments with three in Rayagada district and four in Koraput. The constituency was a Congress bastion since Independence but in 2009 and 2014, BJD captured it. In 2014 General Elections, Naveen decided to field a new face and gave ticket to Jhina who defeated his Congress rival and nine time MP Giridhar Gomango. Pangi of BJD snatched the seat from Gomango in 2009. He joined BJP in 2017.
Political observers said internal bickering in BJD and Jhina’s failure in ensuring development of his constituency went against the ruling party and BJP failed to find a suitable leader to lead the party in the electoral battle.
While the Congress is facing disappointment elsewhere in the State and across the country, Saptagiri’s win has led to celebrations in the grand old party’s district office.