Balasore: With the bypoll for the Balasore Assembly seat set for November 3, all political parties are weighing choices of their candidates.
As the bypoll date draws near, the seat is going to see a three-cornered fight between the BJD, the Congress and the BJP. The parties are yet to announce their candidates, leaving the political circles guessing. Nomination filing is slated for October 9. While selection of candidates is in a decisive stage, announcement of names is being eagerly awaited.
Social activist Subansini Jena and former Balasore municipality chairman Alok Kumar Sahu are aspiring tickets from the BJD while the BJP is weighing over candidature of Mans Datt (son of late MLA Madanmohan Datt) and party’s district unit president Umakant Mohaptra.
The bypoll has become more interesting for the Congress. The names of former district unit secretary Bikram Panda and OPCC general secretary Sanjib Giri are dong the rounds as possible candidate for the party.
The name of Nabajyoti Patnaik, son of OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, was being considered earlier.
The ticket aspirants have started holding meetings, merger meetings and house visits over last few days, charging the political atmosphere of the constituency.
Congress observer for the Balasore seat, senior MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati along with other senior party leaders has already visited the constituency several times.
Addressing a party meeting here Wednesday, Taraprasad Bahinipati urged party workers to work in tandem for the victory of the party in the bypoll.
Senior Congress leader Nabjyoti Patnaik, several other senior leaders and panchayat level leaders attended the meeting. “The party will create history in the bypoll of Balasore Assembly seat, if all workers and leaders try their best,” Bahinipati asserted.
Nabajyoti had unsuccessfully contested from the Balasore Lok Sabha seat in 2019 elections. Bahinipati had earlier dropped hints that Nabajyoti is not likely to be fielded by the party as he is not interested to contest.
On the other hand, the BJP has appointed Manas Dutt as coordinator of the constituency. BJP’s selection of candidate is at a final stage and it will be announced after clearance from the parliamentary board.
The bypoll has been necessitated following the death of BJP MLA Madan Mohan. In view of this, the saffron party is leaving no stone unturned to retain it in a possible tri-cornered contest.
If inner circles of the parties are to be believed, both BJP and BJD cadres are facing factions. Senior party leaders have been frequenting the constituency to iron out the differences among cadres. It is said that some senior leaders of the BJD are being sidelined while mulling over the selection of the candidate.
Political experts observed that factionalism in the saffron party may cost dear in the ensuing bypoll.
PNN
