OdishaPlus Bureau
After CM Naveen Patnaik resigned his Bijepur seat, predictions for by-election are on high voltage
Days after forming new government and taking oath as CM of Odisha for the fifth consecutive term, Naveen Patnaik has resigned from his Bijepur Assembly Seat, thus keeping his age old traditional Hinjli Seat. This has resulted in a heated discussion among the political pundits as why Naveen left the Bijepur seat. Earlier, Naveen has filed nomination from two seats for the 2019 Assembly elections and won in both the seats with over 50,000 margins in each.
Why Bijepur?
For the first time Naveen decided to contest from two seats in the assembly election. Apart from contesting from his traditional seat Hinjli he also contested from Western Odisha’s Bijepur, which comes under Bargarh Parliamentary Seat. This has raised the gossips among the rival parties as why Naveen decided to contest from two seats. The reason behind such decision was anticipated that Naveen might have the fear to lose Hinjli seat this time. But psephologists gave some other reasons behind such decision.
Western Odisha is believed to be the bastion of BJP. BJD wanted to break this reign. Hence Naveen himself fielded in one of the most discussed seat Bijepur expecting to influence all other assembly and parliamentary seats. Though Naveen won from the Bijepur seat but the other calculations went in vain, in result of which BJP won all 5 parliamentary seat from western Odisha. Hence, the probable reason for resigning from Bijepur seat is believed to have failed in influencing other seats from Western Odisha.
In 2014 general elections, BJP has won only 1 parliamentary seat that too from Western Odisha. This time BJP has won 8 MP seats and 5 out of them are from Western Odisha.
Hinjli – Naveen’s historical seat
Naveen Patnaik has been contesting from Hinjli since last 19 years i.e. from 2000. This is the fifth consecutive term he is representing from Hinjli. It was expected that Naveen would leave Hinjli seat and allow his heir to come from there. But Naveen has finally put a full-stop to all the discussion regarding which seat to retain and which to leave. Naveen has finally resigned from the Bijepur seat and retained Hinjli seat. The reason behind retaining Hinjli seat is believed to be Naveen’s nearly two decade relationship with the people of Hinjli.
Who’s next from Bijepur?
Witnessing two elections in a short span of one and a half year, Bijepur is set to witness yet another by-election after Naveen resigned from the seat. In the by-election held in February 24 2018, Rita Sahoo joined BJD and got ticket to contest. Eventually, she won the election breaking Congress’s long regime in Bijepur. Now, as it is clear that a by-election will be held in Bijepur, it marks a question that who will be BJD’s candidate from Bijepur. Will Rita Sahoo get another chance to contest or BJD will field someone else from the seat? “If given ticket, I am ready to contest election and make my husband’s dream complete to develop Bijepur” said Rita Sahoo during a discussion. Subash Chauhan, a senior leader from Bargarh who joined BJD just before the general election 2019 is also in the race to get ticket.
Now what is worth watching is who receives the ticket from BJD to contest from Bijepur.
Story: Joydev Majumdar
