ROURKELA: Sitting MLA and BJD candidate from Rajgangpur Assembly segment Mangala Kisan is not only facing anti-incumbency but also a tough challenge by Congress’ C S Rajan Ekka. Initially, Congress seemed to be in an advantageous position but the equation changed suddenly after two rebel candidates and a couple of Independents entered the fray. A doctor by profession, Rajan is working president of Sundargarh District Congress Committee and son of former MP Christopher Ekka.
With George Tirkey joining Congress and becoming its candidate for Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency, the party is likely to corner a sizeable number of Christian votes. Rajgangpur Assembly segment has a sizeable Christian population and Tirkey and Ekka have firm backing of Christian missionaries. Even a senior leader of BJP admitted that there is a strong undercurrent in favour of Congress and Ekka in Rajgangpur. Yet, one needs to wait till the results are out as a division of Christian votes would be a key factor in the polls.
Two-time Congress MLA Gregory Minz, a Christian, is a rebel Congress candidate. Minz had defeated Kisan in 2004 with a margin of 11,000 votes. Minz won again in 2009 against BJD candidate Benedict Tirkey by a margin of 4,100 votes. In 2014, however, he lost to Kisan by a margin of 10,000 votes. The Congress, though, claimed that Minz and a few other Independents like SDCC president B M Tripathy would not be able to erode its support base.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee secretary and former Zilla Parishad member Rajini Kullu, as a rebel candidate, could spell trouble for Congress in Kutra block. Further, the likes of Siprian Kiro and Sushi Lakra, both associated with PESA rights and Jal, Jungle, Zamin movement, are also likely to eat into Christian vote bank eyed by the Congress. Still, the road ahead doesn’t seem to be smooth for Kisan, who has won from Rajgangpur five times. He faces dissidence within BJD in some pockets. Kisan, unlike in 2014, may not be able to garner much of Christian votes.BJD’s State executive member Jitendra Das admitted that the fight is with Congress.