By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Call it Baby-Pratap-Debi Proving Disastrous for Oppositions BJP-Congress in Odisha.The Scion of Aul Royal family and BJD’s Poll Observer for Pipili Bye polls, Pratap Keshari Deb, also sitting 4th times Law Maker, along with Party’s General Secretary (Organisation) and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das alias Baby and senior Party leader and Baramba MLA Debi Mishra seems heading to fetch another victory for the Regional Outfit when the office of Chief Electoral Officer in Bhubaneswar, announced the April 17 Battle Pipili outcome on May 2.
In recent years, Aul MLA Deb, Jajpur MLA Das and Baramba MLA Mishra, all were former Ministers, proved their political acumen by snatching 2 last bye polls held in Balasore and Jagatsinghpur and the trio after convincing late Pradeep Maharathy’s wife, have been trying very hard to ensure a huge victory for Rudrapratap Maharathy, a choice of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
In Both Balasore and Jagatsinghpur, where polls held last time, the trio surprised all when senior leaders from Congress and BJP deserted their camps and joined hands with BJD and similar scenes were witnessed in Pipili, where the mighty Samantray family is now backing their arch rival , Maharathy family.
The BJP is not that fragile in Puri district, where its candidates – Jayant Sarangi and Lalitendu B Mohapatra – defeated BJD stalwarts like Maheswar Mohanty and Sanjay Dasburma, respectively, in the 2019 general elections. This apart, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra also performed strongly in 2019 despite losing.
In Balasore by-election held in November 2020, BJD’s Swarup Das got 51.56% votes while BJP’s Manas Kumar Dutta got 43.84% votes. Compared to April 2019, BJD vote share increased increased 13% & BJP vote share dropped by 3.5%. In 2019, BJD had got 38.79% & BJP 47.26% votes.
In Tirtol by-election held in November 2020, BJD’s Bijay Shankar Das got 52.91% votes & BJP’s Rajkishore Behera got 27.92% votes. Pipili is the 4th by-election. Will Pipili follow the outcomes in previous 3 by-elections or spring a surprise? We have to wait till May 2.
Chief Minister Patnaik virtually addressed the people Pipili and said, “I know you all love me a lot. Had I been to Pipili, you all would have turned up in large numbers to bless me. I do not want that anyone of you is pushed to danger for me. Therefore, I came before you through videoconferencing.” Be it the farmers’ issue or the welfare of the poor, Odisha has made a mark for itself in the national level. Today, the mothers of Odisha are leading projects under Mission Shakti, which is a major achievement in the direction of women empowerment, he said.
“I request you all to vote for the ‘Shankh’ (conch) symbol in large numbers,” he said, adding that he would personally look after the development works of the Pipili-Delang region. Union PNG-Steel Minister Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flanked by Party candidate Ashrit Patnaik and Party National Spokesperson, Dr Sambit Patra held Roadshows from Utara Chhak to Pipili
The outcome of the ensuing bye-elections in the Pipili assembly segment on 17 April will have little impact on Odisha’s political arithmetic. This is because the governing BJD’s strength in Assembly will go up to 114 if Rudrapratap Maharathy wins, and if BJP candidate wins, its strength will increase to 23 as it has been after the 2019 general elections.Even if Congress candidate Ajit Mangaraj, who has been campaigning from isolation following testing positive to the COVID-19, wins the bypoll results will have no significant changes. The Congress presently has only 9 members in the Assembly.
