BHUBANESWAR: In a move which is likely to change the pre-election scenario in Western Odisha, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced that he is very seriously considering to contest the upcoming assembly polls from a seat in that region. However, it is not yet clear whether the Chief Minister will relinquish the present assembly seat Hinjili or contest from two seats.
“My party leaders from Western Odisha have requested me to contest from a constituency in this region and I am considering this very seriously,” the Chief Minister told mediapersons here at the Naveen Nivas.
Naveen’s announcement is seen by political observers as a move to thwart attempts by Congress and BJP to make inroads in the region where the position of ruling BJD has turned shaky because of a number of issues including suicide by farmers and lack of development in the area.
Senior party leaders including Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya, sitting Lok Sabha MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo and deputy chief whip in the assembly Rohit Pujari met the Chief Minister at the Naveen Nivas and urged him to contest from Western Odisha to send a strong signal that the regional party is for development of the area.
The BJD is been working hard to improve its strength in the Western Odisha region following good show by the BJP from the area in the 2017 Panchayat polls. BJD fielded Rita Sahu, widow of Congress MLA Subal Sahu for the by-poll from Bijepur assembly constituency in February last year and wrested the seat from Congress.
Ahead of the 2019 polls, BJD has roped in strong leaders from the Congress from Western Odisha including sitting MLAs Naba Kishore Das and Jogesh Singh. Besides, Sunita Biswal, daughter of Congress veteran Hemananda Biswal, Harishchandra Panda, nephew of state unit BJP president Basant Panda and Congress leader from Lanjigarh Pradeep Dishari also joined the BJD in recent days.
Naveen, who started his political career from Aska Lok Sabha seat, later on contested from Hinjli, which is an Assembly segment under Aska Lok Sabha constituency. He has been representing Hinjili assembly seat since 2000.
Of the 30 assembly seats in the Western Odisha districts, BJD had won 17, BJP seven, Cong four and others two in 2014 elections.