JEYPORE: Winning the electoral battle again in Jeypore will not be smooth for Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati. As, former Koraput Congress MLA Krushna Sagaria has decided to contest the ensuing General Elections as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Jeypore.
Sagaria on Monday filed his nomination from Jeypore segment which is the only unreserved seat in the undivided Koraput district.
Sagaria, a Scheduled Caste (SC), was expected to fight from Koraput on BSP ticket but he surprised all by deciding to opt for Jeypore. Political observers said he has done so to dent the Dalit vote base of Congress and Bahinipati in Jeypore constituency.
In the last General Elections, Bahinipati had defeated three time BJD MLA Rabi Narayan Nanda. Similarly, Sagaria had won from Koraput as Congress candidate. On November 6 last year, he resigned as MLA following the Kunduli gang-rape case on moral grounds. Later on January 19, he was expelled from the Congress for indulging in anti-party activities.
Around 36 per cent voters, numbering over 40,000, of Jeypore segment belong to SC who play a vital role in the elections. If the winning trend of the past elections is taken into consideration, SC voters have always supported Congress. However, entry of Sagaria into the poll fray could harm the grand old party which is already facing factionalism.
Political observers said Bahinipati won the last elections with a narrow margin of 7,000 votes and any change in the vote share due to caste factor would make the going difficult for Bahinipati.
On the other hand, BJP and BJD camps are happy over Sagaria’s joining in the poll fray as they believe he would divide votes of Bahinipati.
Bahinipati is, however, confident of his win in Jeypore segment. “People are with me because I have worked for them tirelessly in the past and they would support me again,’ he said.