Alleged absence during cyclone Phailin and the aftermath has become a stumbling block for the cine star-turned Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP of Berhampur Siddhant Mohapatra who is contesting from this seat again.
This is in sharp contrast to the successful handling of the rescue, relief, and restoration work during the cyclone has become a major election issue for the ruling BJD.
President of the party and CM Naveen Patnaik harps on success at every election campaign.
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Ganjam district was the most affected by the cyclone in October 2013 and the floods that ensued. Coastal areas under Berhampur parliamentary constituency were the worst-hit. Now, almost all the candidates contesting against Mr. Mohapatra allege that he was conspicuously absent during the cyclone and he did not take up the issue in Parliament.
Former Union Minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu, who had been defeated by the cine star in 2009 from here, is again contesting as the Congress candidate. He said during the campaign he is trying to make the voters realise the result of electing a cine star providing example of his lack of interest to remain with the common mass at the time of a disaster.
He alleged that the BJD MP did not even prefer to visit the Phailin-affected areas of his constituency. “People only saw him on billboards and posters of his films, and companies he advertises for,” he said.
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The CPI (M) State secretariat member, Ali Kishore Patnaik, said that how could the people expect this Odia film star to take up the issue of Phailin in Parliament when this BJD MP has asked only three questions in Lok Sabha during his five-year tenure as he was absent in the House most of the time.
Similarly, BJP candidate and former deputy speaker of the Assembly, Ram Chandra Panda, during all his speeches alleges that the real face of the ruling BJD is evident from the callous attitude of Berhampur MP Mohapatra towards plight of the people of his constituency during the cyclone.
When contacted, the Ganjam district president of the BJD, Subash Moharana, refuted all the allegations saying it would have no impact as voters would vote for the achievements of Naveen Patnaik government.
Mr. Moharana claimed that after the cyclone, Mr. Mohapatra had concentrated on Chatrapur and Mohana Assembly segments while other leaders of the party worked in different areas. But CPI (M) candidate Mr. Patnaik said during campaign in Chatrapur Assembly segment, he had found that the BJD MP had only visited one or two villages after the cyclone.