BJD vice-president Ananga Uday Singh Deo’s long dream to be a member of the Rajya Sabha did not materialise this time too even though he for the first time got elected to the Parliament’s Upper House.
Singh Deo, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in the February elections, had to give up the seat to seek re-election to the State Assembly from his Balangir constituency at the instance of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik.
Patnaik had to ask Singh Deo to contest for the Assembly polls at the last moment when Congress heavyweight Narasingha Mishra was announced as the party’s candidate for the Balangir Assembly seat. Patnaik apparently wants no entry into the Assembly of leaders like Mishra and BJP stalwart Bijay Mohapatra who are known for their sharp-edged attacks on Government in the legislature.
It may be mentioned that the BJD had earlier announced the candidature of Singh Deo’s secretary Harekrudhna Sarangi for the Balangir seat who would have been a poor match for Narasingha Mishra.
Now too, Singh Deo also does not stand a sure chance to defeat Mishra. He has, however, represented Balangir in the Assembly six times in a row since 1990.
Two Ministers of the Naveen Patnaik Government, Kalpataru Das and Sarojini Hembram, have, meanwhile, resigned from the Ministry and their Assembly memberships to join the Rajya Sabha. They were elected to the Upper House of Parliament along with Singh Deo. Singh Deo had earlier failed to get elected to the Rajya Sabha on two occasions.