After Election Commission of India announced by-election for the upcoming Tirtol Assembly constituency, hectic political activities are on among the aspirants from parties.
Sources informed that ticket seekers had begun lobbying hard and were camping at Bhubaneswar to appease their political mentors and party higher-ups for obtaining party ticket.
Perpetually, three political parties such as Congress, BJP and BJD have been giving tough fight for the Tirtol [SC] reserve Assembly seat which comprises three blocks like Biridi, Raghunathpur and Tirtol, having about 2, 20,465 voters.The Tirtol seat had been created following delimitation in the year 2009. The BJD has been winning the seat since then in three consecutive elections. It defeated close rival Congress in 2009 and 2014 and BJP in 2019.
The by-election for the seat was necessitated following untimely demise of MLA Bishnu Das in July.Das’s son Bijaya Shankar Das is the top contender for the BJD ticket in the by-election.
Sources said Bijaya has been in constant touch with BJD seniors at State level for the ticket.However, other ticket aspirants in the BJD are former Jagatsinghpur MP Dr Kulamani Samal, Ashutosh Mallick, husband of MP Dr Rajashree Mallick and State Women Commission Chairperson Minati Behera. In the Congress, the party has assigned candidate selection work to district election committee headed by party leader Chiranjib Biswal. The committee will recommend a suitable name to PCC for approval.
However, sources informed that party was facing dearth of a suitable candidate. Devi Prasana Mallick whom party had fielded in 2019 elections is reportedly not interested to contest the by-poll.
His sister Pratima Mallick who was MP candidate in 2019 is not interested to be in fray either. Further, party’s 2009 and 2014 candidate Rajkishor Behera leaving Congress has joined BJP. Another aspirant Devendra Mallick who was urging for party ticket earlier too has left Congress and is likely to join BJD. In his resignation letter to the PCC president, Deva has blamed district leaders, mainly Chiranjib Biswal, for ignoring him and as cause of his desertion.
According to party insiders, Himansu Sekhar Mallick may be fielded this time since the Congress wants to present a new face from Tirtol area for by-poll. Besides, Himansu is a close aide of Chiranjib Biswal.InBJP, there are four aspirants seeking party ticket for the Tirtol assembly seat.
Ramakanta Bhoi who was party's candidate in 2009 and 2014 Assembly polls is in ticket race. Besides, former MP Bibhuprasad Tarai, Congress turncoat Rajkishor and a new face Harihar Behera, a retired engineer, too have been lobbying hard for the ticket.