BHUBANESWAR: Even as campaigning has gathered with only five days left for first phase polls in the state, Congress candidates have been left to fend for themselves except at some seats where heavyweights or their relatives are in fray.
Out of the four Lok Sabha constituencies which will go to polls on May 13 in the first phase, Congress has a sitting MP Saptagiri Ulaka at Koraput while senior leader Bhujabal Majhi is in the fray from Nabarangpur. Droupadi Majhi and Rashmi Ranjan Mishra are in the fray from Kalahandi and Berhampur seats respectively.
Congress campaigning suffered since the beginning due to shortage of funds and except Koraput, the prospects of nominees in other constituencies seem bleak. Categorisation of seats into A, B and C categories has also accentuated the difficulties faced by the candidates. The party was counting on at least two Lok Sabha seats, Koraput and Nabarangpur in the first phase while it had also a fighting chance in Kalahandi. Sources said candidates of three seats were provided minimum funds and the amount was inadequate in the face of the high-profile campaign launched by both BJD and BJP.
A senior leader of the party told The New Indian Express candidates have been asked to fend for themselves. Whatever funding was done was inadequate, he said adding only candidates with victory prospects were funded. He said this has affected the prospects of the party in Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency and the Assembly seats within it.
There is also shortage of campaign materials including flags, banners and booklets of party manifesto. Congress flags and banners are missing in the constituencies. Besides, managing the party workers without funds is quite difficult, he added.
Star campaigners of the party have also given the state a miss in the campaign for phase one. Former president Rahul Gandhi had addressed an election meeting at Salipur on April 28, but his Rayagada rally scheduled on May 3 was cancelled. Visit of other star campaigners including party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is also yet to be finalised. Priyanka was expected to visit Nabarangpur but the date is yet to be finalised.
Heavyweight state leaders are also bogged down in their own constituencies. While president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak has entered the fray from Nuapada Assembly seat, the campaign committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das is seeking election from Narla in Kalahandi district.
Sources in the party, however, maintained that attempts are being made to finalise the dates for visit of Rahul, Priyanka and other senior leaders to Odisha.