May 18th 2024.
Bolangir, a district located in western Odisha, is gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This constituency has caught the attention of many as three candidates from diverse backgrounds are contesting for the coveted seat. The major issues that the people of Bolangir are facing are migration and irrigation, according to Narasingha Mishra, the sitting Congress MLA of the Bolangir Assembly segment.
Mishra stated that the people of Bolangir are forced to migrate in large numbers due to the lack of job opportunities in the area. This has led to a major setback for the development of the district. Even the farmers are struggling due to insufficient irrigation facilities, despite the recent inauguration of the Lower Suk Tel irrigation project by the Chief Minister. Mishra blamed the 24-year-old BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik for failing to address these issues.
The BJP has fielded its sitting MP, Sangeeta Singhdeo, who is a member of the erstwhile Patna royal family in the district, as their candidate for the Lok Sabha seat. Sangeeta's husband, KV Singhdeo, is a well-known BJP leader. On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal has nominated Surendra Singh Bhoi, a tribal, while the Congress has put forward Manoj Mishra, a popular Odia film actor, as their candidate.
Sangeeta has a strong hold over the Bolangir constituency, having won the seat in 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2019. It is worth noting that a member of the erstwhile Patna Royal family has been winning the Bolangir Lok Sabha seat since 1988. In 2009 and 2014, Sangeeta's brother-in-law, Kalikesh Singhdeo, who is with the BJD, won the seat, but lost to Sangeeta in 2019 by a margin of 19,516 votes. The legacy of the Patna royal family in Bolangir dates back to 1967 when Sangeeta's father-in-law, Raj Raj Singhdeo, won the Lok Sabha seat twice as a Swatantra Party candidate.
This Lok Sabha seat holds great importance for the BJD as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also contesting from the Kantabanji Assembly segment, which is one of the seven assembly segments under this parliamentary constituency. These seven assembly constituencies are Birmaharajpur, Sonepur, Loisingha, Patnagarh, Bolangir, Titlagarh, and Kantabanji. In the 2019 elections, Congress won two assembly seats, BJD won four seats, and BJP won one seat in these segments.
Sangeeta, who is the only woman candidate in the fray, is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and the support of female voters will lead her to victory. She promises to prioritize generating employment opportunities for the youth and reducing migration from Bolangir district. "The people have blessed me four times and they will continue to do so this time also," said Sangeeta. Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have already addressed election rallies in Bolangir in support of the saffron party candidate.
BJD candidate Surendra Singh Bhoi, who belongs to the tribal community, believes that his victory is certain as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also a candidate from the Kantabanji Assembly segment in Bolangir district. "The various welfare schemes introduced by the BJD government, such as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana and free electricity, will surely garner votes for me. Additionally, being a tribal myself, I am confident that my fellow community members will vote for the BJD's conch symbol," stated Singh Bhoi.
During the campaign, the BJD leaders have accused the BJP of being "anti-tribal and anti-poor." They claim that the BJP has stopped providing financial assistance for the KBK region and discontinued the Backward Region Grant Fund, which has greatly aided the people in this area in the past.
Manoj Mishra, the Congress candidate, is a novice in electoral politics, but he is optimistic about winning the seat. "The people are tired of the BJD and the BJP, and they are also fed up with the rule of these royal family members. I believe I can win this seat as a commoner," said Mishra. He also added that people still have faith in the Congress in this part of the state. It is worth noting that the Congress had last won the Bolangir Lok Sabha seat in the 1996 elections.
With over 18 lakh eligible voters, Bolangir will go to polls on May 20. It remains to be seen which candidate will emerge victorious and represent the people of Bolangir in the Lok Sabha.
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