Three Lok Sabha seats and as many as 25 Assembly constituencies in Odisha are in the radar of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS).
Headed by Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, the BRS which on Friday enrolled former Odisha Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, his wife Hema Gamang, son Shishir Gamang, Koraput’s ex-Lok Sabha member Jayaram Pangi, farmer leaders Akshaya Kumar and Seshadeb Nanda and a few others into the party fold in Hyderabad, is eyeing the Koraput, Nabarangpur and Brahmapur Lok Sabha seats.
The Assembly constituencies the party is contemplating to focus on include Malkangiri and Chitrokonda in Malkangiri district, Koraput, Pottangi, Laxmipur, Jeypore, Kotpad, Aska, Brahmapur, Bhanjanagar, Chhatrapur, Chikiti, Digapahandi, Gopalpur, Hinjili, Kabisuryanagar, Khalikote, Polsara, Sanakhemundi, Suruda, Nabarangpur, Umarkote, Jharigaon, Paralakhemundi and Mohana. These constituencies have a sizable number of Telugu-speaking populations.
Since 2000, the BJD led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has remained an unchallenged force and Opposition Congress and BJP have been at their wits’ end on how to vanquish the regional outfit.
Seshadeb Nanda, a farmer leader who joined the BRS on Friday, said his Odisha unit would unequivocally raise the burning issue of the State and never compromise with the ruling party.
“The Congress and the BJP have no distinct idea how to defeat the BJD, which is neck-deep in corruption and nepotism. The State administration is being run in the most despotic manner sans a strong Opposition. We will try not only to fill this void but also unseat the BJD from power to serve the people,” said Nanda.