Though the forthcoming Assembly elections are due in 2014, but here, already the bugle seems to have been blown on the Holi festival.
From the Holi celebration of the leaders here, there has been a speculation about the probable candidates in coming elections. It is all on track as Dilip Ray celebrated Holi at Rourkela after 18 years.
It was in 1995 when Ray had last celebrated Holi with the denizens of Rourkela. After losing the 1995 Assembly elections to Congress candidate Pravat Mohapatra, he had not participated in the Holi. But, suddenly, celebrating the Holi here on Thursday and touring many places under the Rourkela Assembly constituency for two days has once again become a talk point in city about his contesting election in coming days.
Though Ray has not cleared his intention on it openly but from his body language it was clearly understood that he will be in the fray. Now there has been a speculation from which party he would be contesting though still he is in the BJP.
Many of his followers hope he will be backing to BJD soon as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has no other choice in Rourkela to steer the party with MlA Sarada Nayak already defamed and Minister Subrat Tarai wearing a less impressive profile. It is noteworthy to mention here that many political people under several outfits like BJP, BJD, Congress and OJM had been to Ray on the Holi day. On the other hand, very thin gathering was seen in Tarai’s Holi camp, while Nayak had preferred to be away from Rourkela.