BERHAMPUR: The Paralakhemundi Assembly segment, part of the Berhampur Parliamentary constituency, has remained an exception even though the BJD has a stronghold in the Lok Sabha seat.
Though the BJD won the seat in 2009, it is the candidate’s personality which has found favour with the voters, not their party affiliations.
Comprising the Paralakhemundi municipality, Kashinagar notified area council, Goshani, Gumma, and Kashinagar blocks, this segment with a significant Telugu-speaking population has witnessed 16 Assembly elections.
The Congress has emerged victorious six times, with Independent candidates claiming victory four times, and other parties, including the Communist Party, Swatantra Party, Utkal Congress, Janata Dal, BJD, and BJP, each winning once. In the upcoming election, the equations have changed as contenders from the BJP, BJD, and Congress enter the fray.
The incumbent BJP MLA, K Narayana Rao, seeks re-election, while retired chief secretary and Congress leader Bijay Patnaik, and industrialist Rupesh Panigrahi, representing the BJD, vie for the seat.
The political scenario in the segment has witnessed several shifts over the years. In 2000, the BJD-BJP alliance came to power but Trinath Sahu of Congress won from the seat from 2000 to 2009. When the alliance collapsed, K Narayana Rao contesting on a BJD ticket, secured victory in 2009. In 2014, K Surya Rao of Congress reclaimed the seat, while Narayana switched allegiance to the BJP after being denied ticket from the BJD.
In 2019, BJD fielded Kalyani Gajapati but Narayana emerged victorious, riding on both the Modi factor and his own charisma. Patnaik, a seasoned bureaucrat turned Congress leader, now aims to secure the segment, leveraging his extensive administrative experience and local connections.
Meanwhile, Panigrahi, represents the BJD’s bid for dominance in the area and would like to use the popularity of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Adding another twist to the tale, K Surya Rao, formerly of Congress, has joined the BJD, strengthening the party in the segment.