Odisha: Poll fervour still missing in Ganjam

Poll fever is yet to grip politically-sensitive Ganjam district of Odisha as the ruling BJD is yet to declare its candidates for constituencies falling in the region. Congress released the name of only one candidate on Saturday on the same day, BJP came out with a few more nominees for Odisha. Ganjam district has the highest number of 13 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats.

The district also has the highest number of voters at 25,38,622. In 2009 elections, BJD had won two Lok Sabha seats - Aska and Berhampur - and 11 assembly segments.

The prominent leaders who had won from the district included the Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik (Hinjili), Rural Development Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh (Bhanjanagar), Revenue minister Surya Narayan Patra (Digapahandi), Woman and Child Development minister Usha Devi (Chikiti) and veteran legislator V Sugnana Kumari Deo (Kabisurya Nagar). Barring a few ministers, the aspirants candidates, even sitting MLAs and MPs in the ruling BJD, are not sure of getting their hands on party tickets this time.

"It all depends on chief minister and party supremo Naveen Patnaik," said a sitting BJD MLA. The regional party is likely to give ticket to new faces in at least two assembly segments this time and drop two sitting MLAs, sources said. The Congress camp is faced with a similar situation.

"There is more than one aspirant for most of the assembly segments and the Aska Lok Sabha seat. Since confusion prevailed over whether the aspirants would get tickets or not, they were yet to launch the election campaign," said a Congress leader. Former Union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu was declared the candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday.

"We are waiting for the party to declare the names of the candidates before we start campaigning," said Ganjam district Congress committee President Bhagaban Gantayat. He is one of the aspirants for the Gopalpur assembly segment. In the BJP camp too, aspirants were waiting for the announcement of candidate names before they start campaign.

There is more than one contender for many of the assembly constituencies and Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, sources said. CPI(M) and Aam Admi Party (AAP), however, have declared names of candidates Ali Kishor Patnaik and Dhanada Mishra respectively for the Berhampur LS seat. These parties, too, have not announced candidates for the assembly seats.