With the UlB polls getting nearer and poll fever catching up with the people, the aspirants are gearing up to adopt the best strategy to woo the voters. However, the most interesting part of the polls this time is that several aspirants belonging to same families are in for a fight. As they have to campaign against one another, it is going to have a bearing on their personal relations, said sources.
The nomination papers have shown that in several wards under the Pattamundai NAC, family members and relations are set to lock horn. If the official sources are to be believed, one can see daggers drawn among relations as close as husband and wife, sister-in-law and sister-in-law and brother and brother.
One Bhaskar Kundu has filed nomination paper for ward 12 from Congress, whereas his better half Santilata Kundu filed her nomination papers as an Independent candidate for the same ward.
When contacted, Bhaskar stated “I am filing nomination paper for serving the downtrodden. I know my spouse also filed nomination against me like other rival candidates. In a democracy, everybody has a right to political freedom. So, there is nothing wrong in what she did.”
Similarly, one can find an interesting battle in ward 20. Here, it is the fight between a husband and a wife again. While one Mitarani Nayak filed her nomination papers from Congress, her husband Anirudha Nayak filed his nomination paper as an Independent candidate.
In ward 11, a battle line is clear between two sister-in-laws. Rijwana Begum filed nomination papers from BJD party, while her sister –in-law Sarifun Nisha Begum did the same as an Independent candidate.
According to the political observers, the bond of relations might be affected among the aspirants of same families as polls are a matter of keen contest and self projection and attacking rival’s personality.
Scrutiny of the nominees was held on Monday at Pattamundai. All the 71 candidates have been found eligible to contest the upcoming NAC polls, said Tehsildar -cum-Election Officer Pabitra Mohan Dash.