JHARSUGUDA: A hotel, 30 km from Brajrajnagar, has turned into a BJD camp with seven ministers, several MLAs, MPs, former ministers and leaders of the ruling party operating out of it to clinch the by-poll scheduled on May 31. While BJD organising secretary Pranab Prakash Das is supervising the broad strategy and coordination, it is Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das who leads the campaign.
There were initial hiccups as sources said the divide between Naba Das and Rural Development Minister Sushant Singh and Kishore Mohanty groups was considered a threat to party’s prospects but it has been ironed out after intervention of seniors.For the BJP, the campaigning started on a dull note but turned aggressive after Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan went campaigning.
With less than 24 hours left for campaigning to end, a triangular contest seems imminent. Though 11 candidates are in the fray, the three main contenders BJD, BJP and Congress are not leaving anything to chance to woo voters.The ruling outfit is confident and showcasing BJD’s governance success as its poll plank although its candidate Alaka Mohanty, wife of late Kishore Chandra Mohanty, has been conspicuously missing from most public gatherings and campaigning.
Opposition parties have, however, targeted BJD for using government machinery. “They have been misusing state mechanism like Anganwadi, ASHA workers and Women SHGs for campaigning besides getting unquestionable cooperation of the police as well as administration,” said a Congress worker.
Unlike the BJD candidate, BJP’s Radharani Panda has been leading the road-shows and meetings. She contested from Brajrajnagar seven times out of the eight elections between 1995 and 2022 and won in 2014 poll garnering a large support base. However, that might not translate into votes as her performance as MLA left much to be desired.
Former MLA Rabi Narayan Naik is looking after the campaigning of BJP and Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari and Rajya Krushak Morcha president Pradeep Purohit have been motivating the workers. For the party, neighbouring Chhatisgarh’s leaders lending a hand in the campaigning has come as an added advantage.
For a change, Congress has shown a united stand during the campaign for its candidate Kishore Chandra Patel, former minister and a party veteran. Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar, OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak, former president Niranjan Patnaik and CLP leader Narasingha Mishra are all campaigning from one platform.
Patel, who has a strong affiliation with Coal Majdoor Sangha, has instilled hopes that the tide could turn in favour of Congress. In 2014 elections too, he was party the candidate and got 38,000 votes which had distorted the electoral equation of the constituency and led the BJP to win Brajrajnagar for the first time.
Though it is a by-election and the ruling party has put in all its strength, the vote share of Congress will have impact.
Brajrajnagar constituency comprises of 33 Gram Panchayats in Lakhanpur Block, five in Jharsuguda Block besides Brajrajnagar Municipality and Belpahar Municipality.