The Parjang Assembly constituency in Dhenkanal district, which was created prior to the 2009 general elections, seems to be a safe zone for BJD this time with party MlA Nrusingh Sahoo being a well-rooted leader in the area having a strong support base.
All Sahoo has to worry about is BJP’s Bibhuti Pradhan. This time, the BJP has again fielded Pradhan as its candidate for the seat, though as yet the BJD and the Congress have not finally declared their candidates here. In the last elections, Pradhan had thrown a tough challenge for Sahoo and the BJD had a marginal win.
Since in the delimitation process, Parjang became a new constituency with certain permutations and combinations of areas in the erstwhile Pallahara constituency of which it was a part, Sahoo had an edge over Pradhan. Certain fringe areas which were added to the new constituency gave maximum votes to Sahoo leading to Pradhan’s defeat. Nevertheless in densely populated and largest block of the Parjang constituency, Kankadahad, Pradhan had polled maximum votes. Parjang constituency is spread over three blocks such as Parjang, Kankadahad and some villages in Kamakhayanagar block. Sahoo won the elections by capitalising on the new areas of Kamakhyanagar.
Though Parjang constituency has not made any spectacular progress in the last five years, still BJD wave is strong in the area. The constituency’s schools, hospitals, roads and colleges are as backward as ever. Most CC road works have been of substandard nature owing to large scale of corruption by the contractors, officers and BJD leaders and workers. The Rengali Canal construction too has been of poor standard. Though crores of rupees have been spent in the project, the canal has not been properly working. The black top roads of the canal have been damaged, while in many parts the canal has developed breaches. It is not working during the lean season when water is most needed. Thus the agriculturists have to make do with one crop in a year. It is alleged that thousands of crores of rupees have been embezzled thanks to the nexus between contractors, local leaders and bureaucrats in the project.
The constituency has no industry, nor has it a good school or college of national repute. The Saranga IGIT and JNV are not sufficient to cater to the growing need for quality education in the area.
The schools and colleges have not got any infrastructural support. Not have the vacancies of teachers been filled in. Except a good road that is now under construction connecting Parjang to Telkoi via Mahabirod, most block and panchayat roads are in tatters. It is not that money had not been sanctioned for these roads. The rot instead lies in the nexus between the contractor, officers and political leaders which led to poor construction works and high scale corruption. The ruling party leaders and people close to the MlA have been contractors in most projects be it road, bridge, community or school building etc and hence, there has been no limit to corruption.
Still the people of the locality have tasted the BJD boon in terms of development and availing freebies. The Government sponsored schemes, whether they are of the Centre or the State, the credit is primarily going to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Sahoo is the most experienced leader of the area. Though he has been quite close to Biju Patnaik and had started his career as a non-Congress man, in the ups and downs of his career, he had switched over to different parties, even to Congress. In 2009 he had crossed over to the BJD from Congress and won the elections in BJD ticket. His advantage is that BJD does not have a second candidate of Sahoo’s stature who is a native in the area. But his biggest disadvantage is that he is not comfortable with local MP Tathagat Satpathy. Both seem to be missing sync. Besides corruption and highhandedness of his workers may affect his poll prospect, feel political observer here.
Sahoo being a veteran leader and the district BJD chief had not a sterling performance as an MlA during the Assembly session. He remained off the scene and looked rather secluded and to have lost his earlier verve and dynamism.
Congress is in a shambles in the constituency. It does not have a potentially strong candidate. Whosoever have aspired to get a ticket from the party have neither any public image nor any track record of having done any social work or led any agitation for public good.
However, BJP candidate Pradhan can play a catalyst. Even though he spent most of his time basking in the glory of his close relative Rajya Sabha MP Dharmendra Pardhan, he has managed to carve a niche for himself by contesting polls last time though unsuccessfully. He has the advantage of Modi wave, Dharmendra’s charisma and his nativity and acceptability as a man next door by the electorates.