BHUBANESWAR: The election season invariably sets a political merry go round in motion across the states as well as nationally. But, Odisha, this time, is witnessing the phenomenon in its wildest shape ever.
Ever since the alliance talks between the BJP and BJD broke down and both decided to go separate, the trend of desertions and joining has caught on like wildfire in both the parties. Party leaders, sitting and former MPs and legislators have switched sides like there is no tomorrow, thanks to the biggest consideration of getting a ticket for the elections.
Interestingly, at least 30 per cent of the BJD candidates for the Lok Sabha seats are turncoats, who joined the party only recently. The party has announced candidates for 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha segments so far.
The regional party, which has been in power in the state for last 26 years, has fielded party-hoppers in seven Lok Sabha constituencies - Bhubaneswar, Kendrapara, Berhampur, Nabarangpur, Balangir, Bargarh and Keonjhar. Turncoats have been nominated in five out of 108 Assembly segments for which tickets have been announced by BJD so far. BJD’s candidate for Bargarh Lok Sabha segment Parineeta Mishra was the fastest to get a ticket. Wife of former BJP vice-president of Bargarh district Sushant Mishra, she was handed over the party ticket nearly two hours after the couple joined BJD.
Similarly, BJP vice-president Bhrugu Baxipatra and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee member Manmath Routray were given tickets for Berhampur and Bhubaneswar respectively, the day they joined the party. Three-time Congress MLA Surendra Singh Bhoi, who joined BJD on March 29, is the party’s candidate for Balangir Lok Sabha seat while Kendrapara Lok Sabha nominee Anshuman Mohanty is a former Congress MLA, who had joined BJD in February. In Nabarangpur, BJD has fielded former Congress MP Pradeep Majhi, who had switched to the party ahead of 2022 panchayat polls.
BJD has denied ticket to Keonjhar MP Chandrani Murmu, who was the youngest MP in the 17th Lok Sabha and nominated former Congress MLA from Champua Dhanurjaya Sidu as its candidate. Sidu had contested 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket and Assembly election from Telkoi from the party in 2014 and BJP ticket in 2019.
Similarly, Rohit Tirkey and Adhiraj Panigrahi, who had left Congress to join BJD have been given tickets for Birmitrapur and Khariar Road Assembly constituencies. BJP’s Cuttack district president Prakash Behera, chairman of Soro Municipality Madhab Dhada and Ramakanta Bhoi, who had contested on BJP ticket in 2014 and 2019 have been fielded by BJD in Barabati-Cuttack, Soro and Tirtol after they joined the party.
However, BJP’s biggest catch have been six-time BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, two-time MP Sidhant Mohapatra, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy and Kendrapara MP Anubhav Mohanty. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, the party has given tickets to three turncoats, including Mahtab and Panigrahi. Malvika Keshari Deo, wife of former BJD MP from Kalahandi Arka Keshari Deo has been fielded from the seat. The couple had joined the saffron party in September last year.
The party has nominated leaders, who have left BJD or Congress, in 10 out of 112 Assembly segments. Among the prominent political figures, actors Sidhant Mohapatra and Akash Das Nayak have been fielded in Digapahandi and Korei respectively, former minister Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo in Athamallik, MLA Arabinda Dhali in Jaydev and former BJD MLAs Priyadarshi Mishra in Bhubaneswar-North, Purna Chandra Sethi in Khallikote, Trinath Gamang in Gunupur and Rajendra Das in Soro. Three other sitting BJD MLAs - Parshuram Dhada, Ramesh Chandra Sai and Premananda Nayak, who have resigned from the party, are awaiting next phase announcement. Expelled from BJD, Chilika MLA Prashant Jagdev is also yet to be accommodated.
The significant surge in the phenomenon of party-hopping among political leaders has garnered attention due to its potential to reshape the political landscape of the state. The primary reasons for leaders switching parties is the denial of tickets by their current party and grievances against the leadership.
Seasoned politician Mahtab said his decision to snap ties with BJD might be harsh but that gave him immense relief. "I had been living with pain and feeling suffocated within the party. Moved by the enthusiasm of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the progress the country has achieved under his leadership, I joined BJP. This is my new innings with a new team," he said.
Baxipatra said he is grateful to BJD and the president of the party CM Naveen Patnaik for having entrusted him with this responsibility of contesting from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat and for having trusted him to be his commander-in-chief for the constituency. He is hopeful that he win the seat for BJD.
According to political observers, party hopping is seen as an opportunity to enhance careers or secure better prospects in terms of power, influence, or resources. Politicians these days are more careerist than principled or ideological, they said.
“Gone are the days when ideology and commitment were supreme for the politicians. Now the nature of the system and governance have changed. Popularity index and winnability are the only factors for parties to select candidates. They are open to leaders, who can deliver and vice versa,” said political science professor Gyanaranjan Swain.
