Balasore: With the 2024 elections drawing near, hectic parleys have begun in various political parties for the nomination of candidates to Basta Assembly segment situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Balasore district. Aspirants in various political parties have started knocking on the doors of their leaders to get the party tickets for the Assembly segment. Several hopefuls from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are vying for a ticket from this seat which has remained a non-Congress stronghold for the last 35 years.
However, amidst the hullabaloo, all eyes are on the Subarnarekha port which is under construction at Choumukh panchayat under Baliapal block of the Assembly segment. The port is being built at a brisk pace after the Centre and the state government gave their approvals.
In view of the possibility that a township may come up after the construction of the port, leaders of various political parties have started exercising their influence in the Assembly segment. Basta Assembly constituency, comprising 45 panchayats of Basta and adjoining Baliapal blocks, has remained a nonCongress bastion for the last 35 years.
The erstwhile Janata Dal was the first to win from this constituency, which later went to the kitty of the ruling BJD. Former minister Raghunath Mohanty was elected five times from this segment while Nityananda Sahu won twice by defeating their nearest Congress rivals each time. Chatters are abuzz that the incumbent MLA Nityananda Sahu may not get the party ticket this time owing to old age and related health complications.
As a result, the BJD state leadership is looking for a successor in this constituency. Sources said Nityananda has launched all-out preparations to get the party ticket for his son Anjan and field him from this constituency.
On the other hand, the name of entrepreneur Rabindranath Andia is also doing the rounds. He has been with the ruling party for a long and helped build the party organisation from the grassroots level. He has stood with people during natural calamities and extended them all help. Subasini Jena, wife of former Balasore MP Rabindra Jena and the state executive committee president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), has also thrown her weight for the party ticket. She is aspiring for the ticket by claiming herself as the daughter of Baliapal and daughter-in-law of Basta block. Senior party leaders Mahadev Das and Lakshmidhar Das are also vying for the ticket on the basis of their successful performance while working in various posts of the party for long years.
Notably, former MLA Raghunath Mohanty, a senior politician and experienced leader, has remained silent all along these years. He joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after he was sacked from the ruling party before the 2014 elections. He contested on a BJP ticket in the 2019 polls and lost the seat to ruling BJD. Thereafter, he has been absent in BJP programmes or meetings in an apparent sign that he has distanced himself from the saffron party. Speculations are also rife that he may make a comeback to BJD and get the party candidate. The opposition party Congress has also taken up various programmes in the constituency with an eye on the elections. Congress leader and Balasore MP candidate Navajyoti Patnaik frequently visiting the constituency and attends various programmes in his effort to strengthen the party unit with the help of Basta’s MLA candidate from Congress Bijan Nayak. The party workers, having united under the leadership of Bijan Nayak, are working to strengthen the party organisation. Congress leaders are trying to connect with the people by organising protests, strikes and meetings on a plethora of issues such as communication facilities, healthcare services, electrification, drinking water facilities, and farmers’ problems. Bijan is the only face in the crowd being seen as the Congress candidate. Similarly, the saffron party is yet to make it clear whether it will field Raghunath or a new face as its Basta candidate in the elections. However, BJP leader Rabindra Jain is the leading aspirant for the saffron ticket.
