ROURKELA: Pursuit of dynasty politics seems to have put former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal at a crossroads. The Congress veteran, who had initiated his two daughters into politics through Congress party, now finds himself in an unenviable position of a father who has to campaign in support of one daughter against another.
Hemananda’s fourth daughter Sunita Biswal, who was working president of Sundargarh District Congress Committee, resigned from the party on March 9 and later, was offered BJD ticket from Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency which was won by her father in 2009.
Shortly after the sitting Congress MLA of Sundargarh Yogesh Singh resigned and joined BJD, the Congress fielded Hemananda’s youngest daughter Amita Biswal from Sundargarh Assembly constituency. Amita is the general secretary of Congress’ women wing.
Hemananda, who introduced Sunita and Amita to Congress less than a year ago, was lobbying hard to get the party tickets for Sunita from Sundargarh LS constituency and Amita from another area. Incidentally, the husbands of both Sunita and Amita belong to Sundargarh. The Biswal family belongs to Praja Bhuiyan community.
After Sunita quit Congress, Hemananda had admitted that he was trying party ticket for her but she was free to pursue her political career as she wished.
Speaking to this paper on Saturday, Hemananda said, “My daughters are contesting for different posts from different parties on their own.” Though he said he would campaign for Congress, the former Chief Minister was evasive about his strategy for Sunita.
Amita was confident of her father’s support. “My father would definitely campaign for me. He is in the Congress and Sundargarh has been a Congress stronghold,” she said.
At the same time, she clarified there won’t be any compromise in relation to her elder sister and she would highlight the misdeeds of the corrupt BJD Government.
But, it is officially still not clear if Hemananda would campaign in Sundargarh district or elsewhere.
Asked about political rivalry with her younger sister, Sunita said she would handle professional relationship professionally. Her father has influence on ‘Bhuiyan’ community, but her in-laws are also well known in their community. Nevertheless, she admitted that it would be tough for her father to accept the victory of one daughter at the cost of another.