Bengali settlers numbering over 30,000 in the Mahakalpada Assembly constituency could well become the decisive factor for the ruling BJD in winning the seat this time.
The election scenario in the constituency, which is represented by the BJD, has changed for the first time in 14 years due to the entry of BJP candidate Bijay Mohapatra, a four-time MlA from neighbouring Patkura.Mohapatra, who is an erstwhile close aide of late former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, has apparently secured voters’ support in the constituency’s Marshaghai block, where the BJD earlier used to get the maximum vote. He now has sizeable support from voters in about 18 of the total 41 panchayats in the constituency and is mostly banking on non-Bengali votes.
BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is not taking the Mahakalpada battle lightly and campaigned three times for his party candidate Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, the sitting MlA. Patnaik is determined to ensure defeat of Bijay Mohapatra, one of his key political foes.
The party is using Arabinda Dhali, the lone Bengali MlA in the State, to motivate the Bengali supporters in favour of the BJD.For the Bengali settlers, the big issue is the record of rights of their land over which they have been staying for decades since creation of Bangladesh which will be the clincher.
“Though we have possession over land, most of the Bengalis have no records of rights. Therefore, we could not get domicile certificates,” said Babuli Biswas of Kharnasi village, which is on the sea.Most of the settlers are fishermen and have acquired large tracts of land.
‘Amader jamir adhikar din, sankha chine botam chipbo (Give us land rights, we will press the button on the Conch symbol)’ was the common refrain at Ramnagar in the area when Patnaik landed there to campaign for the BJD on Sunday.