BHUBANESWAR: It was a mix bag of results for members of the royal family who contested the 2019 elections in the State and more so in Balangir where the voters changed their preference by electing the BJP candidate to Lok Sabha.
The Balangir Parliamentary constituency has been witnessing the fight between two members of erstwhile royal family since 1998. In the battle royal this time, three-time BJP MP Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo, wife of KV Singhdeo, Maharaja of erstwhile Balangir royalty, snatched the seat which she lost in the last two general elections to her brother-in-law and sitting BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo in a tough fight.
Even after more than seven decades of Independence, the royal family continues to dominate the poll scenario. Since 1998, the seat has been retained by the members of the royal family - Sangeeta or Kalikesh.
Sangeeta, as a BJP candidate, was elected to Lok Sabha from Balangir in 1998, 1999 and 2004 while the seat went to the BJD in 2009. Kalikesh defeated Sangeeta by 1,04,299 votes in 2014 to bag the seat for the second consecutive term. Riding high on the Narendra Modi wave, Sangeeta could manage to win the seat with a slender margin of 19,516 votes. While she secured 4,98,086 of the total 13,067,05 valid votes, Kalikesh polled 4,78,570 votes.
Though Sangeeta made it to the Parliament, her husband Kanak Vardhan (KV), a five-time MLA from Patnagarh Assembly segment under Balangir Lok Sabha constituency and a former minister in the Naveen Patnaik led BJD-BJP coalition government, suffered a defeat at the hand of a new-comer Saroj Kumar Meher of the BJD.
Winning from Patnagarh consecutively since 1995, KV is one among the 10 BJP members of the outgoing Assembly who failed to win this election.
It was a double whammy for senior BJD leader and former MP AU Singhdeo as two of his sons - Kalikesh and Arkesh - lost the simultaneous elections. AU had launched his youngest son Arkesh in politics by getting a BJD nomination from Balangir Assembly seat. The junior Singhdeo was mauled by Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.
It was the same story for Narsingh as his son Samarendra who ventured the electoral battle for the first time from Balangir Lok Sabha seat.Nitesh Ganga Deb, one of the several royal scions who fought the parliamentary election this time, came out with flying colours. A sitting BJP MLA from Deogarh, Nitesh was contesting from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. He defeated his nearest rival Nalini Kanata Pradhan of the BJD with a slender margin.
However, the fate did not smile on Pushpendra Singhdeo, a member of Junagarh royal family and former minister who was contesting Kalahandi on BJD ticket. He was defeated by State BJP president Basanta Kumar Panda.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s gamble to wrest the Parlakhmundi Assembly seat from Congress by nominating Kalyani Gajapati, daughter of Gopinath Gajapati and great-granddaughter of erstwhile king of Paralakhemundi Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati backfired. She was miserably crushed by K Narayan Rao of the BJP.
Former Minister Usha Devi of Chikiti royal family and Pratap Keshari Deb of Aul royalty scripted success with the former winning the poll for the fifth time in a row.
Royal journey
Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo won the election by defeating Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo of the royal family
Kanak Vardhan, a five-time MLA from Patnagarh Assembly segment, lost to a newcomer
Double whammy for BJD leader AU Singhdeo; His two sons - Kalikesh and Arkesh - lost the elections
Congress leader Narasingh Mishra’s son Samarendra lost from Balangir LS seat
Nitesh Ganga Deb came out with flying colours
Pushpendra Singhdeo of Junagarh royal family faced defeat