BHUBANESWAR : Champua Assembly constituency in mineral-rich Kenojhar district is once again in the spotlight for two reasons.
The first is that the voters of the constituency have been electing new faces since the last six elections of which three were Independents. The other is the surprise sprung by BJD in the last minute selection of former Independent MLA Sanatan Mahakud, who is still to join the party.
Mahakud, who has interests in transportation of minerals, came to limelight when he entered electoral politics in 2009 and fought the polls on a Congress ticket. He, however, lost to mines owner and former Congress leader Jitu Patnaik, who contested as an Independent after being denied ticket by the party.
A local strongman who has been dubbed as a modern-day Robinhood for his philanthropic activities, Mahakud tried his best for a BJD ticket in 2014 but could not succeed. He then entered the fray as an Independent and won the election by inflicting a defeat on his business and political rival Kusha Apat, the BJD candidate.
In 2019, the BJD once again turned down Mahkud’s application for a ticket from Champua and asked him to wait for 2024 election. Even as Mahakud obliged keeping his business interests in view, the regional party nominated two of his proteges Minakshi Mahanta from Champua Assembly seat and Chandrani Murmu from Keonjhar Lok Sabha seat. He ensured the victory of the two as promised to the party.
Though Mahakud is still not a member of BJD, he applied for a party ticket this time for Champua. The other contender for the seat was his rival Apat. After realising his chances of getting a BJD ticket was remote, Mahakud is learnt to have started negotiating with top leaders of the BJP’s state unit. He, however, faced stiff opposition from local BJP organisation led by Murli Manohar Sharma, who had unsuccessfully contested the last elections and is eyeing the party ticket.
“The district unit of BJP strongly favoured the candidature of Mahakud but this was overruled by the state leadership as Sharma is an old ally of state BJP president Manmohan Samal. The BJP’s loss will be a gain for BJD,” a senior party leader rued.
Sources in Keonjhar said Mahakud made a last ditch attempt with BJD by conveying the message that he was going to contest this election as an Independent come what may. The BJD leadership seems to have acceded as Mahakud’s chances of winning the seat is the highest. And, in a bid to pacify Apat, the party on Saturday appointed him the Keonjhar district BJD president.
Meanwhile, the Congress has nominated former BJD MP Yashbant Narayan Singh Laguri and BJP is likely to repeat Murli Manohar Sharma.