Cong gets some nice feedback

Orissa Election Assesment by Dhrutikam Mohanty

Union Minister for Rural Development, Chandrasekhar Sahoo, is re-contesting from Berhampur, the biggest constituency in southern Orissa. Being close to Andhra Pradesh, Berhampur is deeply influenced by South Indian culture – a fact that is evident from the residents’ passion for cinema. This is perhaps why the BJD gave its ticket to Oriya film star Siddhant Mahapatra. Bharat Paik is the BJP candidate. Due to the curbs placed by the Election Commission on wall posters, most political parties – at least in the townships – have opted for billboard displays. In Gadapur village, close to the Andhra Pradesh border, one got a distinctively pro-Congress feel. Sahoo says there is deep disenchantment with Navin Patnaik’s government.In nearby Sumando village the people’s mood this time seems to favour Chandrasekhar and the Congress, more so because the BJD-BJP vote bank is divided. Kendrapara is considered a strategic constituency. The battle in this coastal region is between BJD’s Baijayant Panda and Ranjib Biswal of the Congress. Baijayant is a Rajya Sabha member, and former cricketer Ranjib heads the Orissa Cricket Association. What makes this contest different from the others is the fact that the Congress has never won from Kendrapara in the past 50 years. In Balasore, BJP’s Kharabela Swain, who has won three successive elections from here, is trying his luck for the fourth time. And senior Congress leader Srikant Jena and BJD-supported NCP candidate Arun Dey are looking to break his winning streak. Out of the 21 seats in the state, BJD may get eight, Congress seven, BJP four and CPI 1 and JMM one. Clearly, the BJD-BJP's fallout will benefit a comatose Congress party, for the first time in many years.