The grapevine of Bhubaneswar North constituency is agog with a rosy future awaiting BJD activist Subash Patra.
Patra who hails from Raghunathpur village is now a resident of the Bhubaneswar North Assembly segment. In 32 villages under five GPs, besides in a cluster of 22 villages under BMC, he enjoys the trust and confidence of the local residents and is endeared to them for his activities.
“Since 1947 till date, none but one MLA namely Ramakrushna Pati happened to be our representative, being a son of the soil. All other MLAs since then are superimposed by the ruling parties ignoring the sentiments of locals. This time we strongly demand a local man from BJD to be our MLA, ” said one Bapi Panda from the locality.
Currently Patra is the BJD Khurda district unit vice president. Prior to his transition into politics, Patra as a social worker and a Good Samaritan.
“Social service is my passion, though politics is my present option,” opined Patra .
Even today, he spends most of his time in helping the people in distress and dismay. Whether it is plantation of trees, blood donation camp, health awareness programmes or sports events among the youths, Patra is seen at the front leading the youths and volunteers. In 2015, he had organised a blood donation camp at Tangibanta in Barimunda GP and another mega blood donation camp at Mancheswar in September last, winning the admiration all. He has undertaken massive health awareness programmes at villages like Chakesiani, Bharatpur and at Saliasahi.
Taking a lead while purchasing and collecting blankets, he has distributed them among the poor and the have-nots in the bitter and biting cold of the last chilling winter of 2019. Patra stole the limelight in the constituency during the dumping yard stir in the area. He is not opposed to the dumping yard but strongly demands the treatment mechanism for waste management. In this connection a case has been filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Patra was elected as the president of Barang College student union in the year 1991-92. Their after he came in contact with Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and in the year 2007 he was MP’s representatives for the Bhubaneswar block. He left Congress to join the BJD at the call of the-then BJD leader Mitu Badajena. Patra’s influence was tested at the grass root level in the Zilla Parishad election in the year 2012, when his wife Basanthi Patra was elected with an overwhelming majority and continued till the year 2014 as a member of the Zilla Parishad. The rising popularity and influence of Patra ultimately saw him as vice-president of BJD Khordha district even for the second time.