BHUBANESWAR: The BJP is still struggling to find suitable candidates for four Lok Sabha seats of Bhadarak, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj which will go to polls in the fourth and final phase on April 29 in the State.
Without any visible face for Bhadrak seat, the BJP is seriously contemplating to field Abhimanyu Sethi, son of sitting BJD MP Arjun Charan Sethi who resigned from the primary membership of the regional party on Saturday. The father-son duo has joined the saffron party.
In 2014 election, Arjun was elected from the Lok Sabha seat fifth time in a row by defeating Sangram Keshari Jena of Congress by a margin of over 1.8 lakh votes. The BJP had fielded Sarat Das who came third by securing 2,16,617 votes.
The senior Sethi is no doubt a popular leader in Bhadrak as he won the seat for eight times since 1971. Strong indications are coming from the BJP for nomination of Abhimanyu as the party hopes to gain from the division of BJD votes. BJP Sources said Sarat Das is still in contention. A final decision will be taken by the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party on Monday.
The BJD has nominated Manjulata Mandal, wife of sitting Dhamnagar MLA Muktikanta Mandal.
While the BJP is still tight-lipped on its possible nominee for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat, the scene has changed after BJD’s denial of ticket to its sitting MP Kulamani Samal. Speculations are rife that Samal is likely to join the saffron party. A prominent leader of the BJP is in touch with Samal who had defeated his Congress rival Bibhu Prasad Tarai by a margin of over 2.75 lakh votes in the last polls.
The name of former MLA Baidhar Mallick, who unsuccessfully contested from Jagatsingpur Parliamentary constituency on BJP ticket in 2014, has been recommended by the party to the CEC for consideration. Mallick had garnered 1,17,448 votes in the last election.
While BJD has nominated sitting Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick under its 33 per cent women quota policy, the Congress has fielded a new face in Pratima Mallick for the Lok Sabha seat.
While BJD has surprised its opponents by fielding Sarmistha Sethi, a young and dynamic lady officer of Odisha Administrative Service, in Jajpur, the Congress and BJP are still in search of candidates to give a fight to the ruling party. Sethi replaced sitting BJD MP Rita Tarai.
In 2014 elections, BJP had fielded Amiya Kanta Mallick who joined the saffron party after being denied ticket from Congress. Though Mallick is still a contender for BJP ticket, the party is now having second thoughts after induction of former BJD MP Mohan Jena.
Similarly in Mayurbhanj, the saffron party is still waiting for clearance from the CEC for the candidature of Girish Chandra Murmu, an IAS officer from Gujarat cadre who is working in the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the recent induction of former BJD MP Laxman Tudu into BJP has queered the pitch.