Berhmapur: For many years, Ganjam was a fort for Communists. However, with the passage of time, the Left parties have lost their hold in the district with the rise of Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
As panchayat elections are round the corner, the presence of the Left parties has almost vanished in assembly seats like Chhatrapur, Kabisuryanagar and Aska. Several Communist leaders have been elected from these seats many times in the past.
Now, all these seats have turned into forts of the ruling party. The BJD has made massive inroads into the Left bases.
In the first Lok Sabha elections, well-known Communist leader Bijay Chandra Das was elected as MP from Berhmapur seat (then Ganjam).
In 1971, CPI leader Ditikrushna Panda was elected from Aska parliamentary seat. Freedom fighter and farmer leader Gobinda Pradhan was one among the leaders who strengthened the Communist ideology in the district.
After Odisha was formed as a separate province, Pradhan was elected as MLA from Communist party. His younger brother Radhakrushna Pradhan was also a known Communist leader.
In Chhatrapur Assembly seat, Laxman Mohapatra was elected thrice from the Communist party while Biswanth Sahu was elected twice from the seat from the same party. Parsuram Panda, N Narayan Reddy and Adikand Sethi were elected from this seat.
However, people looked away from the Left in Chhatraour in 2014. This Assembly seat went to the BJD in 2014 and 2019.
CPI leader Sachidananada Mohanty was elected from Kabisuryanagar Assembly seat twice; Sardar Dandapani Swain twice and Nityananda Pradhan twice.
Ahead of the 2009 parliamentary elections, Nityananda Pradhan deserted Communist party and joined the BJD. He was elected as BJD MP from Aska Lok Sabha seat.
Moreover, all family members of Communist leader Gobinda Pradhan are with the BJD. His daughter Latika Pradhan is the BJD MLA from Kabisuryanagar.
In Aska Assembly seat, Communist leader Harihar Ds was elected from the seat in 1951, 1957, 1967 and 1974. In 1990, Ditikrushna Panda was elected from this seat.
Now, the Communist organization has completely vanished.
Over last several years, the BJD has made massive inroads. However, CPM and CPI have some supporters in certain pockets in Ganjam.
It is seen that CPI and CPM candidates are not garnering votes in elections.
Given their poor organizational presence, political observer are skeptical about their success in panchayat and general elections.
PNN
