With the Election Commission announcing July 20 as the date of polling in the Patkura Assembly segment, Odisha’s three major political parties have begun gearing their machineries for the high-voltage fight in the coastal Kendrapara district.
According to political analysts, election to the Patkura seat, currently held by the Biju Janata Dal, will be a prestige battle for the Naveen Patnaik-led party and the Opposition BJP, as both are keen on increasing their tally in the House.
While the ruling party retained its position in the recently concluded poll by winning 112 of the 146 Assembly seats, five less than what it had won in 2014, the rival BJP this time increased its tally from 10 to 23.
In the Lok Sabha election too, the BJP managed to bag eight out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, up from one in 2014, while the BJD secured 12 seats.
The BJP has fielded veteran leader Bijay Mohapatra, a well-known bete-noire of the Chief Minister. He would be taking on BJD greenhorn Sabitri Agarwal and Congress nominee Jayant Mohanty.
Reaching out to voters
With the Chief Minister visiting the famous Baladevjew temple in Kendrapara on the occasion of Snana Purnima last month, it seems that the BJD will be pulling out all stops to win the seat.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Mr. Mohapatra has also launched a voter outreach campaign. Newly elected Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi conducted a roadshow in Patkura earlier this week.
Mr. Mohapatra, a founder member of the BJD, had joined the BJP before the 2014 election owing to his differences with Mr. Patnaik and other party leaders.
“I have complete faith on the people of Patkura. The BJD’s poll tricks will fail to yield any result as voters are determined to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They are not for sale,” Mr. Mohapatra said.
Ms. Agarwal said that she was confident that people of Patkura will vote for the BJD again. Her husband, Bed Prakash Agarwal, had been representing the constituency since 2009.
“I am confident because I know that Patkura will never disappoint Naveen Patnaik. The people here will certainly vote for the BJD again,” she said.
Odisha Congress unit chief Niranjan Patnaik said his party “would contest the election with all sincerity”.
Counting of votes in the Assembly seat will be taken up on July 24, it added.
