PHULBANI: As the electoral scene unfolds in Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, all eyes are on whether BJP and Congress can stop Achyuta Samanta, the sitting MP from the Biju Janata Dal.
Samanta is seeking a second consecutive term, and faces formidable challengers as both major Opposition parties have announced their candidates to fight his dominance in the region.
The BJP has nominated Sukanta Panigrahi while the Congress named Amir Chand Nayak as its candidate.
The Kandhamal parliamentary constituency has been a bastion of the BJD since it was formed. In 2019, Samanta’s victory margin was substantial as he polled an impressive 4,61,679 votes, defeating the BJP’s Kharebela Swain, who garnered 3,12,463 votes.
Samanta’s popularity is rooted in his identity as the founder of prestigious educational institutions like KIIT and more particularly KISS which nurtures tribal children through right education and living free of cost. Add to it his initiatives for infrastructure development during his tenure which has further solidified his position within the constituency.
Moreover, his emphasis on the welfare and development programmes implemented by the BJD government has been widely accepted by the electorate strengthening his support base.
However, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to give a tough fight to Samanta. The party candidate Panigrahi, also poised for his second Lok Sabha election, is strategically positioning himself by addressing critical issues such as infrastructure, transportation, and irrigation, while leveraging the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government’s developmental initiatives.
However, internal bickering within the party poses a threat to his chances, as dissenting members demand a change citing his past electoral setbacks.
The Congress faces its own set of challenges, grappling with a declining grassroots base. Nayak’s performance on the electoral battlefield remains uncertain amidst the BJD’s entrenched organisational strength across the constituency.
With the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency comprising key segments like Baliguda, G Udayagiri, Phulbani, Kantamal, Boudh, Daspalla and Bhanjanagar, the electoral equations suggest a straight contest between the BJD and BJP.