BHADRAK: Campaigning for Dhamnagar by-election has picked up steam with candidates of BJD, BJP and Congress besides Independent nominee Rajendra Das leaving no stone unturned to woo voters in their favour.
BJD leaders including Ministers, MPs and MLAs are touring various panchayats in a bid to garner maximum votes for party candidate Abanti Das. More than 30 State BJD leaders are supervising the party’s campaign in Dhamnagar. Meetings are being held regularly at the panchayat level and motorcycle rallies taken out across the constituency.
Similarly, BJP State president Sameer Mohanty is camping in Bhadrak since the last one week to sway voters in favour of party candidate Suryabanshi Suraj Sthitapranjna. Along with party MLAs, Mohanty is holding meetings and road shows in the constituency.
For Congress, State president Sarat Patnaik, MLA Suresh Routray and former MP Ananta Sethi are engaged in door-to-door campaigning for party candidate Harekrushna Sethi. Rajendra, the BJD rebel candidate, has also intensified campaigning in different panchayats with his supporters. He is meeting BJD supporters in a bid to win their hearts.
Despite facing a tough fight from Rajendra, BJD leaders are confident of victory. State BJD secretary Ashok Nayak said, “Over 30 per cent voters in the constituency are women. BJD has a strong base of women voters due to the Mission Shakti programme of the State government,” he said.
The BJP is confident of getting sympathy votes in favour of Suryabanshi whose father and sitting Dhamnagar MLA Bishnu Sethi passed away in September this year. Besides, the infighting within BJD workers in the constituency is likely to benefit the BJP.
Former State executive member of BJP Tushar Jena said, “We had won the last election by defeating BJD by over 4,000 votes. This time, the winning margin will be doubled as the BJD is facing its rebel candidate in the by-election.”
Poll observers opined that though four candidates are in fray, the battle will be fought between the BJD and BJP. Around 24,000 Muslim voters in the constituency will play a deciding role in the outcome of the bypoll, they added.