Bhubaneswar: Even though the official notification for the Bijepur Assembly by-election has not been issued, the state’s political atmosphere has heated up as the poll is going to be a litmus test for the three main parties — the BJD, the Congress and the BJP.
The Assembly segment is going for a by-poll after the death of MLA Subal Sahu, who won the seat thrice contesting on a Congress ticket. The Congress won the seat thrice, but it is yet to thrash out a strategy to retrain the seat.
The BJD and the BJP are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure a win. The BJD is a step ahead as they have roped in Subal Sahu’s family. The ruling party has also announced Subal’s widow Rita Sahu as its candidate. The party has taken the move to get a clear cut majority.
To counter the BJD’s strategy in Bijepur, the BJP has decided to rope in former the BJD MLA from the constituency, Ashok Panigrahi. He is likely to join the BJP Monday in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a function in Jagannath Nagar in Bargarh district’s Barpali.
The BJP is planning to field Panigrahi as its candidate for the by-poll. However, its local leaders and workers are opposing the plan. The BJP nagged the largest number of votes in the recent panchayat elections.
BJD president Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday said he will personally campaign for Rita Sahu.
Claiming his party will definitely win the seat, BJD vice-president and senior leader of Bargarh district Prasanna Acharya stated the 3B theory — Bijepur, BJD and Bijaya (victory). “In the Bijepur by-poll we will come out victorious,” Acharya said.
BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said his party would win the by-poll. “We secured majority in the recent panchayat elections and this will continue,” Sharma said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Sura Routray said, “The BJD roped in Subal Sahu’s family and made Rita Sahu its nominee in a hurry. This will cost the party dear.”
He alleged that the family of late Subal Sahu was ‘influenced’ to join the BJD. He said the BJD paid them `2 to 3 crore and gave a flat in Bhubaneswar. Panigrahi had earlier alleged that the Sahu family had received money and other benefits for joining BJD.
However, Rita sahu’s son Sumit Sahu has refuted the allegations levelled by the Congress. “All allegations are baseless. We do not have any property in Bhubaneswar,” said Sumit. The BJD too denied the allegation and dared the Congress to submit evidence.
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