The Congress in Cuttack city has played a masterstroke in the campaigning for the next month’s civic body by-poll in Ward-21 as party candidate Gouri Das has hit the campaign trail along with the estranged sister-in-law (younger brother’s wife) of city BJD MlA Debashis Samantray.

Sikha Samantray, who has brought severe allegations of torture and misery against the MlA, is canvassing door-to-door with the Congress candidate urging people to vote sensibly in the June 3 by-election giving a befitting reply to the alleged perpetrators of betrayal.

 “The one who could not be of his own family members, how could he stand for the cause of the people,” says Sikha, making obvious reference to her MlA relative.

Sikha has been alleging that the MlA is constantly neglecting his only younger brother, who is now suffering from cancer.

Underplaying Sikha’s move to canvass for the Congress candidate, the MlA said that in democracy everybody is free to campaign and solicit vote for his or her favourite candidate and there have been innumerable instances in Indian politics where members of one family campaign for rival parties. “I am not perturbed over it, Debasis said.

Meanwhile, political heavyweights of all the three major parties have joined the campaigning for the by-poll canvassing for their respective party nominees. While Ministers, MPs and MlAs have hit the campaign trail for BJD nominee Tulasi Behera, former Minister Samir Dey, youth leader Biswajit Mahanti and many BJP leaders are canvassing for their party nominee Padmini Behera.