BHUBANESWAR: Kalahandi, which was known for poverty earlier, is now being projected as the hallmark of the Odisha transformation story. Both BJP and BJD are claiming credit for it. As the constituency goes for a poll, it will be interesting to see who convinces the voters.
While the BJP is eyeing to repeat its victory in the Kalahandi parliament constituency, the BJD is working on snatching the seat away from BJP. Congress is also making a strategy to revive its lost glory by winning this tribal-dominated constituency this time.
Phanus Punji, a tribal woman, who had become the face of poverty-stricken Odisha in the 1980s after she infamously sold her sister-in-law Banita for Rs 40. Stories of abject poverty and starvation deaths then symbolized the hardships experienced in this region.
But now Kalahandi has emerged as a major rice bowl, contributing the second-highest paddy yield in the state after Bargarh. It now has an airstrip at Utkela, a government-run medical college, a university at Bhawanipatna and several other important projects. Kalahandi has performed very well in different sectors.
“Important projects worth Rs 3000 crore have been completed in the constituency. Many project works are underway. National Highway projects, railway projects including Junagarh-Nabarangpur rail line have been taken up under Junagarh-Bhadrachalam new line project. We have done very well in the health and education sectors too. People are happy with us and we are expecting another win here,” said BJP Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda.
Congress’s senior leader Bhakta Charan Das, who has won Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat thrice, said the Junagarh-Nabarangpur rail line is not moving in the right direction. “I don’t know why the Railways is delaying the electric loco periodical overhauling (POH) workshop project work at Narla. Tribal issues are not being addressed. Migration is rampant. People are moving out due to lack of employment. All is now well in this constituency,” he added.
While no party has declared candidates yet, prominent names among those doing the rounds from BJP are sitting MP Basanta Kumar Panda, woman leader Suniti Mund and an advocate from Kalahandi district. Panda, former BJP state president and two-time MLA from Nuapada, expects the party to repeat his candidature this time too.
This time, Congress may field a new face, a woman and tribal candidate, for this seat.
Name of Draupadi Majhi from Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district is in the top list. She is now general secretary of Congress’s state women wing. Party may field its old horse and seasoned politician Bhakta Charan Das, for the Narla assembly constituency instead of this Lok Sabha seat.
If there will be a BJP-BJD coalition, this seat may go to BJP. If not, BJD may field former minister Puspendra Singh Deo or MLA Dibya Shankar Mishra or Rajya Sabha member Sujeet Kumar. But names are yet to be finalised, said the sources. When contacted, Kumar said, “I don’t know about this. Whatever party will say, I will follow that as a disciplined worker.”
This seat was won by candidates of Ganatantra Parishad, Swatantra Party, Janata Dal, Congress and Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) between 1952 and 1996 before BJP’s Bikram Keshari Deo captured the seat consecutively for three times. Later Congress’s Bhakta Charan Das got the seat in 2009.
During BJD’s two-and-a-half decade of political journey, it has won this seat for once in 2014. Arka Keshari Deo, who had achieved this feat for BJD, is now in BJP. Former BJP state president Basanta Kumar Panda reclaimed the BJP glory in 2019.
While the BJP is eyeing to repeat its victory in the Kalahandi parliament constituency, the BJD is working on snatching the seat away from BJP. Congress is also making a strategy to revive its lost glory by winning this tribal-dominated constituency this time.
Phanus Punji, a tribal woman, who had become the face of poverty-stricken Odisha in the 1980s after she infamously sold her sister-in-law Banita for Rs 40. Stories of abject poverty and starvation deaths then symbolized the hardships experienced in this region.
But now Kalahandi has emerged as a major rice bowl, contributing the second-highest paddy yield in the state after Bargarh. It now has an airstrip at Utkela, a government-run medical college, a university at Bhawanipatna and several other important projects. Kalahandi has performed very well in different sectors.
“Important projects worth Rs 3000 crore have been completed in the constituency. Many project works are underway. National Highway projects, railway projects including Junagarh-Nabarangpur rail line have been taken up under Junagarh-Bhadrachalam new line project. We have done very well in the health and education sectors too. People are happy with us and we are expecting another win here,” said BJP Kalahandi MP Basanta Kumar Panda.
Congress’s senior leader Bhakta Charan Das, who has won Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat thrice, said the Junagarh-Nabarangpur rail line is not moving in the right direction. “I don’t know why the Railways is delaying the electric loco periodical overhauling (POH) workshop project work at Narla. Tribal issues are not being addressed. Migration is rampant. People are moving out due to lack of employment. All is now well in this constituency,” he added.
While no party has declared candidates yet, prominent names among those doing the rounds from BJP are sitting MP Basanta Kumar Panda, woman leader Suniti Mund and an advocate from Kalahandi district. Panda, former BJP state president and two-time MLA from Nuapada, expects the party to repeat his candidature this time too.
This time, Congress may field a new face, a woman and tribal candidate, for this seat.
Name of Draupadi Majhi from Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district is in the top list. She is now general secretary of Congress’s state women wing. Party may field its old horse and seasoned politician Bhakta Charan Das, for the Narla assembly constituency instead of this Lok Sabha seat.
If there will be a BJP-BJD coalition, this seat may go to BJP. If not, BJD may field former minister Puspendra Singh Deo or MLA Dibya Shankar Mishra or Rajya Sabha member Sujeet Kumar. But names are yet to be finalised, said the sources. When contacted, Kumar said, “I don’t know about this. Whatever party will say, I will follow that as a disciplined worker.”
This seat was won by candidates of Ganatantra Parishad, Swatantra Party, Janata Dal, Congress and Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) between 1952 and 1996 before BJP’s Bikram Keshari Deo captured the seat consecutively for three times. Later Congress’s Bhakta Charan Das got the seat in 2009.
During BJD’s two-and-a-half decade of political journey, it has won this seat for once in 2014. Arka Keshari Deo, who had achieved this feat for BJD, is now in BJP. Former BJP state president Basanta Kumar Panda reclaimed the BJP glory in 2019.