Participation of former Union Minister KP Singh Deo with State Congress working president Naba Das and former Minister Nabin Chandra Narayandas in a Congress workers' rally held here on Wednesday has created new enthusiasm and energy among local party rank and file after two decades as they have found a ray of hope for the party's revival ahead of the 2019 general elections.
But if the political history of Dhenkanal is seen, it is found that the Swatantra Party had a firm foothold with the royal family having fought elections from the party in star symbol. Former Dhenkanal Queen Ratnaprava Devi, mother of KP Singh Deo, fought election in 1962 on star symbol form the Dhenkanal Assembly constituency.
Only former CM Nandini Satpathy and her husband Debendra Satpathy managed to defeat the Dhenkanal royal family during 1972. Nandini and Debendra were fighting elections as Congress nominees for the Dhenkanal Assembly and Parliamentary seats respectively.
KP Singh Deo was a MP nominee from Dhenkanal from Swatantra party then. later on December 16, 1976 when Nandini was forced to resign from the post of Chief Minister for her rift with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's son Sanjay Gandhi, the people of Dhenkanal got aggrieved with the Congress and voted to Janata party in the next elections.
It was after KP Singh Deo joined Congress and became a Union Minister in 1980 that the voters of Dhenkanal turned to Congress.
In 1993, Singh Deo held the post of Information and Broadcasting Minister. At that time, the Congress won all the seven Assembly seats under the Dhenkanal Parliamentary constituency only for the popularity of Singh Deo.
Singh Deo was defeated by BJD nominee Tathagat Satpathy during 2000 and 2004. In the year 2009, Singh Deo though was the PCC chief, but he was denied a ticket. In 2014 too, Singh Deo did not get a ticket.
Since then, Singh Deo was silent and was not participating in any Congress activities. Consequently, many Congress workers had joined Ama Odisha, BJD and BJP. Even former Congress MlA and Dhenkanal district Congress president Sudhir Kumar Samal joined BJD last year.
As of now, the Congress has no remarkable presence in Dhenkanal district. However, the reappearance of Singh Deo has energised the party workers.
However, political observers are of the opinion that it would not be an easy task for Singh Deo to revive Congress' fortune in the district as he has too little time in hand and the BJD and the BJP are already in good form.