Two former Chief Ministers, both tribals, are again contesting elections this time. They are Giridhar Gamang and Hemanand Biswal, both of the Congress.
While Gamang has put his effort to make it to lok Sabha for the 10th time from the Koraput constituency, Biswal wants to return to Parliament from the Sundergarh seat for a second consecutive time. Interestingly, both the Congress veterans are facing two young men as their main contestants. While laxmipur MlA Jhina Hikaka is contesting against Gamang in the Koraput lS seat, Rajya Sabha member Dilip Tirkey is pitted against Biswal in Sundargarh.
Another feature of the current elections in the State is that sons of five late Chief Ministers are also in the race. They are Naveen Patnaik, son of Biju Patnaik, AU Singh Deo, son of RN Singh Deo, Bijayshree Routray, son of Nilamani Routray, Tatahagata Satpathy, son of Nandini Satpathy, and Bhartruhari Mahtab, son of Harekrushna Mahtab. This apart, Hema Gamang, wife of Giridhar Gamang, is also seeking elections from the laxmipur Assembly seat in Koraput district as a BJD candidate.
Adding to the families of former Chief Ministers, sons of some other Ministers and former Ministers are also in the race on the BJD ticket in the 2014 polls. Former Minister AU Singh Deo’s son Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo is seeking reelection from the Balangir lok Sabha seat while Minister Kalpataru Das’ son Pranab Balabantray is the candidate in the Dharmasala Assembly constituency, Kalindi Behera’s son Chandrasarathi Behera is contesting from the Cuttack Sadar Assembly seat and Prafulla Chandra Ghadai’s son Pritiranjan Ghadai is the candidate from the Sukinda Assembly seat,