Tag: Odisha Assembly Election

With Nuapada Zilla Adivasi Sangha giving its consent to former MLA Ghasiram Majhi to join the fray as an independent candidate, the electoral battle in Nuapada Assembly constituency is going to be a four-cornered one.

For the last few days, many ticket aspirants have been camping in Bhubaneswar because they fear the mathematics may go against them in their absence.  

It is said that the BJD is haunted by fears of losing ground in the Lok Sabha elections amid reports of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity in Odisha.    

Senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty told the media, "The model code of conduct is in force and the ECI barred the IPS from taking part in any election duty. However, it has been seen that Kutey is calling SPs, IICs and political leaders. He has been working on partisan lines. This is a violation of the poll MCC.”

With both BJD and BJP adopting a wait-and-watch policy and pinning hopes on leaders switching camps, the Congress seems to be struggling to finalise the names of candidates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats.

The list of opposition leaders who joined the BJD is long. Congress leader of Titilagarh Surendra Singh Bhoi has been made BJD’s MP candidate for Bolangir after he joined the party. Former Salipur MLA and BJP leader Prakash Behera joined the BJD and has been made Cuttack-Barabati MLA candidate.      

The BJP has repeated its candidate K Narayan Rao who had won the seat in 2019. The BJD has given a chance to a new face like Rupesh Panigrahi while the Congress has banked on former chief secretary and senior party leader Bijay Patnaik.   

During her campaign at Ananda Ban Park here on Sunday, the BJP leader said, "I have prepared a report card on the developmental works that I have done in my constituency in the last five years. The report cards are being distributed to people." 

There are several ticket aspirants for a BJD ticket in Kendrapara assembly segment. They argued that they have been working for the party over the years, but imported leaders shouldn't be given a chance to contest the poll. 

As per reports, the BJD and the BJP have not announced their candidates for Balikuda-Erasama and Kakatpur Assembly seats under the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha segment. In these two seats, the BJD is reportedly in a tailspin due to a bitter infighting.  

Even though there are many aspirants for the the Kendrapara Assembly seat , word is doing the rounds that the party may field a turncoat leader.

These days, Jatani MLA Suresh Routray is seen campaigning for his younger son Manmath Routray, a BJD candidate for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, leaving Congress workers confused.

Former Berhampur MP and BJP leader, Sidhant Mohapatra had targeted the BJD government and the Chief Minister on the same issue on April 4. “If I am unable to speak Odia or I have no love and care for my mother tongue, then how I could protect my Odia Asmita and swabhiman?” he had asked.

Mohanty was elected from the Basta Assembly seat five times in a row since 1990 and was a minister holding several portfolios like Parliamentary Affairs, Steel, Industries and Mines, Panchayatiraj, Law, Urban Development and Information and Technology in the Naveen Patnaik government.

Former Congress MLA, Devendra Sharma brought the allegation against the incumbent MLA, saying that the BJD leader, who is the minister in the government, held a procession without permission from the State Electoral Officer.