Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur have been the bastions of the ruling BJD. But given the changed political equations this election, they no longer seem to be as impregnable as they were in the past.
The Conch party is in a precarious situation in all the seven Assembly constituencies in the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha constituency.
While the party is struggling with the maximum number of dissidents in Jagatsinghpur and Balikuda-Ersama constituencies, the infighting has crossed all limits in the Paradip constituency. In the Tirtol constituency, intense infighting has come to the fore after BJD leader Sarojkant Swain joined the BJP.
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The BJD took the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat as well as the seven Assembly seats in 2019. But this time, it appears that the BJP may give the BJD a good run for its money.
“This time, there is a Modi wave and the mandate is in his favour. So, we will win the Lok Sabha seat as well as all the seven Assembly seats,” said Bibhuprasad Tarai, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Jagatsinghpur.
“We will have a thumping victory in four Assembly seats in Jagatsinghpur district and the Lok Sabha seat,” said BJD MLA Prashant Muduli.
The conch party’s condition in Jajpur is not good either.
This time, the party’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das is contesting from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat instead of his home turf Jajpur. In his place, Sujata Sahu, a new face, is locking horns with BJP heavyweight and seasoned politician Goutam Ray.
“Jajpur people have made up their minds to vote for the BJP. The saffron party's candidates will win in all the seven Assembly seats and the Lok Sabha seat,” said Ray.
Korei seat is witnessing a fierce fighting between BJD’s Sandhyarani Das, mother of Pranab Prakash Das, and BJP’s actor-turned-politician Akash Das Nayak. In Sukinda, BJD’s Preetiranjan Gharai is crossing swords with BJP’s Pradeep Bal Samant.
Similarly, in the Barchana Assembly seat, it is said that the party has invited trouble by dropping its old warhorse Amar Satapathy and fielding actress Varsha Priyadarshini. Varsha is contesting against BJP’s Amar Nayak.
“Jajpur people will play a crucial role in making Naveen Patnaik the Chief Minister of Odisha for the sixth time,” said BJD's Jajpur MP, Sarmistha Sethi.