ROURKELA: Political landscape in Talsara Assembly constituency is witnessing a seismic activity with the entry of former hockey star Prabodh Tirkey into the Congress fold and his desire to contest from the region.
This development has sent ripples in the ruling BJD, leaving the party scrambling for a viable candidate as the clock ticks away. With the seat reserved for the scheduled tribe (ST), a triangular contest seems imminent, with incumbent MLA and Sundargarh organisational district president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bhawani Shankar Bhoi all set for a re-nomination. The BJD’s hopes of clinching the seat for the first time hinge on strategic candidate selection, taking into account the crucial caste dynamics.
The Talasara Assembly constituency, with approximately 2.01 lakh voters, has historically favoured Bhuiyan candidates. In the 14 elections held from 1961 to 2019, Bhuiyan candidates emerged victorious 13 times. The constituency was once a Congress bastion, with Gajadhar Majhi winning five consecutive terms from 1980 onwards but the political landscape shifted in 2019, with BJP’s Bhoi securing victory by a margin of 16,188 votes.
After Majhi’s demise, his son-in-law Dr Prafulla Majhi won the seat thrice (2004-2014) but slipped to the third spot in 2019 securing about 41,000 votes and BJD was at second spot with nearly 44,000 votes.
Political analysts attribute the demographic composition of the constituency as one of the deciding factors for elections. Amid speculation, the name of BJD’s Sundargarh organisational district president and special development council president, Binay Toppo is being touted as a frontrunner candidate. Observers believe BJP stands to gain if Toppo represents BJD, alongside Prabodh from Congress, as this scenario could potentially split votes of the Christian community.
Majhi Jr joined the BJD in December 2021, and as a Bhuiyan, enjoys support from influential figures. However, Toppo’s appeal beyond that segment remains limited with his previous independent candidacy in 2009 yielding around 5,000 votes.
State BJD general secretary Jogesh Singh affirmed the party’s commitment to selecting the right candidate at the opportune moment.