NABARANGPUR: The breakdown of eleven-year-old marriage between BJD and BJP in the State seems to have come as a blessing in disguise for Congress in Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency.
The constituency, considered a Congress bastion for decades, slipped away from its grip as the alliance snatched away the seat from it in 1999 general election. And BJP-BJD split now is likely to benefit the Congress as the past poll results indicate whenever there was a multi-cornered contest the Congress benefitted from it.
Of the 14 general elections held so for, Nabarangpur constituency has witnessed multi-corner contest nine times and one-to-one contest five times. Congress has won eleven times. In first Lok Sabha elections in 1951, Congress was defeated by Ganatantra Parishad in a triangular contest. Similarly in the election held for 14th Lok Sabha in 2004, which also witnessed triangular contest, Congress was defeated by BJP. Barring this two elections, the Congress registered easy wins seven times in multi-cornered contests.
The division of anti-Congress votes has helped the Congress more than any the other party in Nabarangpur constituency which consists of Umerkote, Jharigam, Dabugam, Nabarangpur, Kotpad, Chitrokonda and Malkangiri Assembly segments.
In the first Lok Sabha elections in 1951, Ponada Subarao of Gantantra Parishad defeated Jagdish Chandra Naik of Congress. But in second Lok Sabha election in 1957, Rajakonda Jagannath Rao of Congress emerged victorious by defeating Paridiwala Hurmunshiji Rustomji of Ganatantra Parishad. In the elections held for third Lok Sabha in 1962, Rao retained the seat by defeating Ganatantra Parishad candidate Nutakki Ramaseshaih. Nabarangpur seat was reserved for ST candidates in 1967 elections. Khagapati Pradhani of Congress won the seat by defeating Nilambar Majhi of Swatantra Party. Since then Pradhani created a record of sorts by representing the seat up to 12th Lok Sabha. He represented the seat nine times and then voluntarily opted out.
Before the elections for 13th Lok Sabha, an alliance was forged between BJD and BJP and the seat was allotted to the latter. Parsuram Majhi of BJP defeated the Congress candidate Chandra Sekhar Majhi in a one-to-one in 1999. In 2004 elections, Parsuram retained the seat.
The BJP is fielding its candidate for the seat since 1991 elections. But after the change in political equations, BJP will not only face Congress but also BJD. In the last panchayat and urban local body elections, the BJD put up a good performance in comparison to BJP and improved its support base to a great extent in all the seven Assembly segments.