Congress, BJD and BJP have not declared their candidates for the general elections scheduled for April in Kamakhyanagar Assembly seat in Dhenkanal district so far, heightening the anxiety of the aspirants, general public and poll observers. However, OJM has fielded Bipracharan Sahu for the seat.
The BJP has already declared its candidates for the nearby Parjang, Talcher and Dhenkanal Assembly seats, besides Dhenkanal Parliamentary seat, but Kamakhyanagar candidate among a myriad number of aspirants is yet to be confirmed.
There is a long list of aspirants from the saffron party this time such as former ZP chairman Thakur Mahanta, BJP State executive member Premananda Jena, district law cell chairman Matruprasad Nanda, district lawyers’ association president Nabakishore Guru, farmer leader Debasisha Hota, district BJP vice president Prabitra Mohan Biswal and district BJP secretary Ratnaprava Panda. Most interesting is that most of these aspirants are lawyers by profession while Hota is an engineer who over last few years has been organising several movements for proper compensation to the land oustees in power projects in the area and protection of land rights and empowerment of the SCs,STs , Dalits and tribals. Hota has held rallies in New Delhi and met Union Ministers and top BJP leaders over these causes and had been successful in bringing a few leaders including Rajya Sabha MP AV Swami to the locality. He has also filed petitions with the NHRC against illegal land acquisition in Dhenkanal district.
Mahanta’s stake is high given his long career in politics and association with the ABVP. He was Zilla Parishad chairman from 2002 to 2007. Besides he has a good rapport with the State and central leaders in the party. From the very beginning of his career in politics, he was an ABVP activist. Jena was former Bhuban block chairman from 1984 to 1991. He has also long association with the BJP as a mass leader. His mass base is wide in Khamakhyanagar and Bhuban area. He also enjoys a good relation with BJP’s Dhenkanal MP nominee and former Rajya Sabha MP Rudra Narayan Pani. Jena has also worked as BJP district president.
Guru and Nanda are lawyers but both have worked for the party in different capacities. Guru was former councilor of BJP in Bhuban NAC. Panda, on the other hand, was a ZP member between 2007 and 2012. She has organised many women SHGs and has a lot of support from the women. The seat is presently with the BJD.