JAGATSINGHPUR: The BJP’s win from the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat where Bibhu Prasad Tarai was pitted against BJD’s Rajashree Mallick is not what the ruling party had anticipated.
Jagatsinghpur constituency comprises seven Assembly segments, Jagatsinghpur, Tirtol, Balikuda-Erasama, Paradip, Niali, Nimapara, and Kakatpur. Both BJP and BJD had this year renominated Tarai and Mallick as their respective candidates from the Jagatsinghpur LS seat. In 2019, Mallick had defeated Tarai with a record-breaking margin of 2,71,655 votes, the highest for any BJD candidate in the state.
Unlike the previous election, it was Tarai who bagged the Jagatsinghpur LS seat this year defeating Mallick by 40,696 votes. Reliable sources attribute Mallick’s defeat to intra-party conflict, her declining popularity, failure to utilise MPLAD funds and her perceived ineffectiveness in raising issues in the Parliament.
During election campaigning, residents of Tirtol, which is Mallick’s native, too protested her candidature which is likely to have benefitted Tarai. Besides, BJD also seemingly crumbled as several party members defected to the BJP over intra-party conflict.
Former minister and BJD leader Samir Das who switched sides to the BJP in Nimapara Assembly seat added to BJP’s advantage. Similar was the case with Surendra Sethi who defected to the saffron party in the Kakatpur Assembly segment. Besides, popularity of BJP MLA candidate Chabbi Mallick in Niali, along with former BJD vice-president Saroj Swain and his supporters from the Raghunathpur joining the BJP in the Tirtol Assembly segment, were other factors that contributed to the saffron party’s convincing win in this Lok Sabha seat.
BJD district vice-president Rabi Narayan Jena attributed the party’s defeat to incorrect candidate selection for both Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Jagatsinghpur. “While there was no strong undercurrent for the Modi government, BJP leaders effectively targeted the BJD,” he said.
Tarai said he was confident of winning once BJD renominated Mallick. “My victory reflects the support of people across the seven Assembly constituencies. I am committed to addressing their issues and fostering industrial development in Paradip and other areas and create employment opportunities for local youth."
