ROURKELA: Amid the hectic parleys between the BJD and BJP to strike a seat-sharing deal for the upcoming elections, five sitting MLAs of both the parties in Sundargarh Parliamentary constituency have become jittery about their fate.
Till recently, these five MLAs, three of BJP and two of BJD, were certain of being renominated in 2024 elections. But now they are worried over getting repeated as there is no clarity yet on seat adjustment in Sundargarh.
Reliable sources said in the past seat-sharing formula during the BJD-BJP alliance 15 years back, the BJP had got the Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency along with Raghunath (RN) Pali, Birmitrapur, Sundargarh, Talsara and Bonai Assembly segments. The BJD had got Rourkela and Rajgangpur seats.
BJP insiders claimed if the alliance becomes a reality, the party is certain to retain the prestigious Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat by repeating the incumbent MP and former union Minister Jual Oram. In 2019, Jual had defeated the BJD candidate with a record margin of around 2.23 lakh votes. Besides, in the six elections held between 1998 and 2019, Jual won five times and was the Tribal Affairs minister twice. There is no convincing reason to believe that the central BJP leadership would needlessly tinker with the Lok Sabha seat or hand it over to BJD.
If this happens, it would be heartburn for Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, the aspiring BJD candidate from Sundargarh. The former Indian Hockey captain had lost to Jual with a narrow margin of around 18,900 votes in 2014 polls.
Political observers said in the prevailing circumstances, the BJD and BJP are equally strong in six of the seven Assembly constituencies. The current electoral equation may complicate Assembly seat adjustment with no party willing to let go the constituencies of sitting MLAs.
Rourkela is the only unreserved Assembly constituency and logically, the seat may be retained by the BJD. Rourkela is represented by Labour and ESI Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak. Since the previous alliance broke in 2008, Nayak has won twice and BJP once from the seat.
Similarly, sitting BJD MLA Subrat Tarai has won thrice from RN Pali seat since 2009, but his victory margin over BJP was merely 4,684 votes in the last polls. RN Pali was given to BJP in the previous alliance.
Insiders in both BJD and BJP admit that the ruling party’s insistence to contest in maximum Assembly constituencies is delaying the seat-sharing deal and leading to confusion and anxiety among the sitting MLAs and other contenders.
Currently, Birmitrapur, Sundargarh and Talsara Assembly seats are represented by BJP MLAs Shankar Oram, Kusum Tete and Bhawani Shankar Bhoi respectively. If BJD is allowed to contest from three constituencies in the new seat-sharing formula, the BJP may agree to part with Bonai without giving away Sundargarh, Talsara and Birmitrapur. However, Rajgangpur may be a bone of contention as the BJD and BJP have almost similar vote share in the constituency.
Currently represented by Congress MLA Raazen Ekka, Rajgangpur was with BJD in the previous alliance. Bonai is now represented by CPM’s Laxman Munda.