While leaders are too much desperate about their career with party hopping taking place at an astounding frequency before the elections, the voters will be in real difficulty while making up their mind at the time they press the button on the EVM.
The elections this time have put them in dire straits forcing them to make hard choices. Voters cast their vote on line of loyalty to a party or a leader, principles and ideologies, faith on a party or a leader of mitigating their problems, free sops under schemes, bribes before they go to booth and most importantly ‘wave’ in favour of a party or leader.Consequently, local chauvinism, family relations, caste and clan, community and religion play a role.
This time, they are pitted against peculiar situations in which they have to make their choices. Many a leader have changed their parties and hence, they would be speaking against the party under whose symbol they were contesting polls last time or since long last. Hence, those in BJP who have switched over from BJD or Congress would try to pull their traditional voters into the BJP. The situation would be the same for those who are in the BJD or the Congress after relinquishing the BJP.
For example, Jharsuguda MLA Naba Das will be trying to woo Congress voters into the BJD; former BJD Minister Raghunath Mohanty would ask his traditional voters to choose the BJP in Basta, K Narayana Rao of the BJD would try to prevail upon his past BJD voter base to rally behind the BJP in Paralakhemundi, Subhas Chauhan of Bargarh who was a long time BJP leader would ask his workers and supporters to back the BJD candidate there.
Former BJD Minister Dama Rout would put the voters in a fix as he would surely campaign for the BJP in Earsama Balikuda where he is contesting election on BJP ticket but in Paradip he may have to shut his mouth against the BJD as his son Sambit Routray is contesting on a BJD ticket.
How can the followers of Dama vote for the BJP in one seat and the BJD in another—a hard choice indeed! In Sundargarh, former CM Hemannada Biswal’s two daughters are contesting elections from rival camps of BJD and Congress.
Hemanda himself a Congressman, who would he canvass for? Can he divide his filial love at the altar of election by siding with one at the cost of the other? Conversely, the old Congress voters would be in a dilemma.
Similarly, those rebels in the BJP, BJD and Congress who have not gone to any party but are contesting elections as Independents, they would certainly split the votes of their parent parties.
The supporters and well-wishers of Kharabela Swain of Utkal Bharat who were shocked to find he was assaulted by allegedly BJD goons at different places while carrying out his anti-Naveen road shows in the run-up to the elections across the State would definitely have to over exercise their mind as he is now in the BJP, the party he had quit over principles and after it forged an alliance with the BJD in 2000 to form Government.