With Naveen contesting from Kantabanji, there is speculation about the BJD’s performance in the Balangir Lok Sabha seat and other assembly seats of Western Odisha
Bhaskar Parichha
A new development has surfaced in Odisha politics during the current elections. BJD leader Naveen Patnaik is contesting for office in two constituencies simultaneously.
Previously, Naveen fought from Bijepur in Bargarh district and Hinjilikatu in Ganjam. This time, he is a candidate from Hinjilikatu, along with Kantabanji in Balangir district.
The choice to stand in two seats, though not new, has triggered debates within political circles, with many questioning the rationale behind Naveen’s candidacy in the assembly elections.
Kantabanji is a crucial assembly seat in Balangir district, historically known as a stronghold for the Congress party. Since 1961, the Congress has won in this seat 6 times.
The Ganatantra Parishad candidate emerged victorious in 1961, followed by wins for the Swatantra Party in 1967, 1971, and 1974, Janata Dal in 1990, an independent candidate in 2004, and Biju Janata Dal in 2014. It is worth noting that the BJP has not yet secured a victory in this specific seat.
Naveen vs Saluja
Since 1995, Santosh Singh Saluja has consistently been selected as the Congress candidate for Kantabanji constituency. He has successfully competed against BJD candidates and emerged victorious in the assembly elections.
Once again, Saluja has been nominated by the Congress party, demonstrating their confidence in his abilities. It is clear that BJD leader Naveen Patnaik will personally enter the electoral arena to challenge Saluja.
Naveen Patnaik has been elected from the Hinjilikatu assembly seat since 2000. However, in 2019, for the first time he contested from another seat which was Bijepur in West Odisha. Now, for the second time, he has decided to run from Kantbanji in West Odisha. Similar to the previous election, Western Odisha remains a significant focus for the BJD party.
In the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, the BJP emerged victorious in 8 seats, with 5 of them being in Western Odisha.
Despite Naveen Patnaik’s candidacy in Bijepur, it had no impact on the Lok Sabha seat. Consequently, the BJD party is taking this issue seriously and formulating a plan to secure more seats in Western Odisha.
In 2024, the BJP has adopted the slogan ‘400 Plus’. The focus is on increasing the party’s Lok Sabha seats from Odisha from 10 to 12. BJP leaders are targeting various Lok Sabha seats in Western Odisha. Naveen is rumored to be a candidate from Kantbanji to boost the morale of BJD workers in Western Odisha and counter the BJP.
Sangita vs Kalikesh
Balangir is a significant and prominent Lok Sabha constituency in the state. Along with Kantabanji, Titilagarh, Patnagarh, Loisingha, Balangir, Birmaharajpur, and Sonepur fall under this Lok Sabha seat.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP candidate in the Balangir constituency, Sangita Singhdeo, defeated BJD candidate Kalikesh Singhdeo and secured a seat in the Lok Sabha. BJP managed to take this seat from BJD.
In the assembly seat of Balangir, the Congress candidate Narsingh Mishra emerged victorious in a closely contested election, defeating the BJD candidate Arkesh Singhdeo.
Meanwhile, the Congress also secured the Kantbanji seat, while Loisingha went to the BJP. The remaining seats were won by the BJD. However, there are indications of a shift in the political landscape in several constituencies, with the BJP gaining momentum.
With Naveen contesting from Kantabanji, there is speculation about the BJD’s performance in the Balangir Lok Sabha seat and other assembly seats.
Naveen’s Entry
Balangir district boasts experienced and influential organizers from the Congress such as Narsingh Mishra and Santosh Singh Saluja. BJP’s Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo is also actively involved in politics in this district.
It remains to be seen how the political dynamics will evolve in the days ahead, especially with Naveen contesting from Kantabanji this time.
In the 2019 elections, Naveen contested from Hinjili and Bijepur, securing victories by significant margins in both constituencies. The BJD had high hopes for Naveen’s performance in Western Odisha, given his success in Bijepur. However, the outcome was different, with Naveen winning the Bijepur assembly seat while the BJP claimed all 5 Lok Sabha seats in the region.
Although Bijepur falls under the Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency, the BJD candidate could not secure a victory in this particular seat. Subsequently, Naveen resigned from the Bijepur seat, retaining the Hinjili seat, which was later won by Rita Sahu from the BJD in a by-election.
(The author is a senior journalist. Views expressed are personal.)