Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s last-minute decision to field Sarada Nayak again for the Rourkela Assembly seat may prove futile this time.
“Though eating his own words the BJD chief chose Nayak for the seat, but it would be quite difficult for Nayak to outdo BJP’s heavy weight challenger Dilip Ray,” feel political observers here.According to them, the election wave turned in favour of Ray the day his name came in the BJP’s candidate list. Voters would prefer Ray as he possesses a fame of a non-controversial and a polite political personality, they said.Meanwhile, many BJD leaders and workers, including Nayak’s close aides, have joined Ray’s camp quitting BJD.
Since then the wave has not only been blowing in favour of Ray but also Nayak is facing crunch of supporters in many places to take up his propaganda.Perhaps, this would be the exception segment where a ruling party is facing such stiff opposition from inside the party.
To garner support for Nayak, BJD boss Patnaik had conducted a road show for about two and a half-an-hour in Rourkela Assembly constituency covering about forty-five kilometers on Monday. But the response of the voters to the road show indicates that it would have a very little impact to change the fate of Nayak this time.
Besides, the voters here have not forgotten the major allegations levelled against Nayak, his reported involvement in the May 29, 2012 mid-night operation against Patnaik and suspicious role in the chit fund scam.