As the Assembly elections are round the corner, hectic lobbying for party ticket within the ruling BJD for the unreserved Rourkela Assembly seat has been intensified. There are many top contenders for the seat this time.
Besides party members, many non-BJD people are eyeing for the BJD ticket from Rourkela also. So to draw the attention of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, many aspirants are camping in Bhubaneswar with their supporters. A few have started a signature campaign from different organisations in their favour to place it before Patnaik.
However, political thinkers say that the lobbying would have no impact on Patnaik as he would select candidate for the seat on several counts. Notwithstanding, this time the situation to select candidate in the party is quite different. last time, the sole decision was taken by rebel BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. He had picked up his pet candidate Sarada Nayak, ignoring claim of many others. But this time, Nayak’s chance of getting selected is too remote.
First of all, he was very harshly removed by Patnaik from the Council of Ministers for his alleged involvement in the May 29, 2012 coup hatched by his mentor Mohapatra. Secondly, during his ten years of MlA, he has earned more foes (even inside the party) than friends because of his attitude problem and behaviour. Thirdly, organisation works are in a shambles in last five years with Nayak at the helm of affairs. Fourthly, he is not in good terms with Minister Subrat Tarai and party veteran Mangala Kisan. Fifthly, a chunk of BJD leaders is holding secret meetings to urge the party boss not to give ticket to Nayak. Despite these shortcomings, some feel Nayak has the blessing of BJD’s observer of Sundargarh district and a bureaucrat close to Patnaik.
So, now the question is whether Patnaik will go for a new face or repeat Nayak forgetting his own words “shadow of corruption” when he sacked him from Ministry in 2012.
In the event Nayak is dropped, then two prominent names top the list of contenders. They are former Rourkela Municipality vice chairman RN Mishra and Rourkela BJD president Ananad Mohanty. Both are party’s State council members. As vice-chairman of the Rourkela Municipality, Mishra carries a good image for his honesty and efficiency. Though he was vice chairman of the civic body, but everyone knows major decisions in the municipality were taken by him. Under his leadership, the Rourkela Municipality also grew in various aspects.
Similarly, Mohanty is also very loyal to the party leadership having vast political experience. The other top contenders in race are former Rourkela Municipality chairperson Rashmibala Mishra and former party district president Rama Chandra Panda. Though Mishra is quite immature in politics but she is holding the post of president of party’s Rourkela city committee. It implies party boss has faith on her. Secondly, she is a woman.
Similarly, Panda is in party since its formation and prior to it, he was all through with late Biju Patnaik and has direct access to Patnaik. Even Patnaik has politically rehabilitated him as president of Sundargarh District Central Cooperative bank. Besides them, many more names from party circles like noted social worker of the city Sailendra Mohanty, Mahila BJD president Minati Debta are doing the round.