Puri: Aspirants of three major political parties in state have started intense lobbying for Kakatpur Assembly Constituency in Puri district, which has been reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates since 2009.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates have won the Kakatpur seat in 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections. Prior to that, BJD leader Surendra Nath Nayak was elected from the seat twice consecutively.
Rabi Mallick, as BJD nominee, had won the segment in 2009 Assembly polls. However, the regional party had dropped Mallick in the 2014 elections and opted for Surendra Sethi as a new face. It is believed that the tussle between Mallick and Surendra Nath Nayak proved to be costly for the former.
According to sources, sitting MLA Surendra Sethi and Nayak also have been at loggerheads with each other. It has been alleged that government had to face problems in implementing various developmental projects in the constituency due to the tussle between Sethi and Nayak.
Grapevine has it that Nayak is not in favour of Sethi getting a re-nominated from BJD for the constituency in 2019 polls. Recently, posters opposing Sethi’s candidature have surfaced at several places in Kakatpur.
However, Sethi is quite hopeful of getting a re-nomination from BJD in the upcoming polls. Apart from Sethi, former MLA Rabi Mallick and BJD activists Abhaya Sethi, Prasanna Behera, Chaitanya Sethi and Suryakant Das have started lobbying for a ticket from the regional party.
“BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would take a call on the candidature issue. I will obey his decision. There is no factionalism in BJD in Kakatpur. At least 70 per cent of voters are with BJD. Some people have put up certain posters against me to serve their vested interests,” Claimed MLA Surendra Sethi.
Former MLA Rabi Mallick, on the other hand, claimed that he had undertaken many developmental works in the constituency during his tenure. “There was injustice towards me in the 2014 elections. This time, I hope that BJD would give me ticket to fight the election,” Mallick said.
BJD activist Prasanna Behera, however, said he has been with late leader Biju Patnaik and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for last several decades. “Now, I am working as the president of Odisha Fishermen’s Association. The party will consider may case,” Behera added.
BJD leader Abhaya Sethi said he has been a disciplined worker of the party for several years. “I have been working with former minister Surendra Nath Nayak for last several years. I am quite hopeful that party will reward me with the ticket,” Sethi added.
Similarly, BJD activist Suryakanta Das expressed his desire to fight the polls from Kakatpur constituency. “I have been trying hard to improve the condition of farmers and fishermen in Kakatpur. The party would consider all this and give me a ticket,” Das said.
BJP activists Tusarkanti Behera, Sarbeswar Mallick and Ashok Sethi are in the race to get the Saffron Party ticket for Kakatpur segment.
“The BJP Parliamentary Party would take a decision on the candidature issue. The party has done well under my leadership in last panchayat elections in Kakatpur,” Behera claimed.
Sarbeswar Mallick said he has been working for BJP for last several years and quite hopeful of getting party ticket. Similarly, Ashok Sethi has expressed his desire to fight the polls from Kakatpur. “I was an aspirant for BJP ticket in 2014 elections. The BJP leadership has recently appointed me as party’s in-charge for Jajpur district. I hope that I would get ticket this time,” Sethi said.
Ravindra Sethi, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 polls on a Congress ticket, has expressed his readiness to fight the upcoming polls. “I had undertaken several developmental works in Kakatpur during my tenure as a minister. I had secured the second position in 2014 polls. I am expecting party ticket this time too,” Sethi said.
On the other hand, Congress leader Biswabhusan Das is also trying hard for the party ticket for the upcoming polls. “I had unsuccessfully contested the polls from Kakatpur in 2009. The party denied me ticket in 2014, but I obeyed the decision. This time, I hope that party would consider my case and give me the ticket,” Das said.
In a nutshell
The Kakatpur Assembly segment comprises 16 gram panchayats of Kakatpur block, 15 gram panchayats of Astarang block, 14 gram panchayats of Gop block and 13 wards of Konark Notified Area Council (NAC). The population of the constituency stands at 3, 10, 257 while altogether 2,36, 655 people are eligible to cast votes in the upcoming elections.
2014 Assembly election results
Party Candidate Votes
BJD Surendra Sethi 89, 963
Cong Ravindra Sethi 48, 933
BJP Tusarkanti Behera 12, 093
PNN