May 17th 2024.
Hinjili and Kantabanji are two Assembly constituencies in the state of Odisha, located about 350 km apart. The two areas have two things in common - migration is a major issue and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the BJD candidate for both constituencies.
Despite talks of infrastructure development, the lack of job opportunities has been a persistent problem in both rural areas. While there is no official data on the number of people who have migrated from Hinjili and Kantabanji, unofficial estimates suggest that over a lakh people have left their homes in search of work in states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.
Kantabanji is situated in western Odisha, while Hinjili lies in the southern part of the state. However, the ruling BJD claims that the rate of migration has significantly decreased in Odisha. Interestingly, these migrant workers are in high demand during election season as political parties bring them back to their hometowns to cast their votes.
Santosh Gouda, a migrant worker, explains, "We had to return from Surat in Gujarat to vote in Hinjili because our families live here. If we don't cast our votes, the local sarpanch may deny us government benefits like free rice." This trend is seen across all political parties, including the BJD, BJP, and Congress, who use this tactic to increase their vote share in the elections.
Patnaik has been elected from Hinjili since 2000 and is currently seeking re-election for the sixth consecutive time. Bilasini Behera, a resident of Sheragada in Hinjili, takes pride in the fact that their MLA is also the Chief Minister. However, she raises concerns about the issue of migration that still persists in the area, despite Patnaik's 24-year tenure.
During Patnaik's time in office, Hinjili has seen some development with the establishment of a municipality, a sub-divisional hospital, a rural industrial park, a skill development center, fire stations, the Harabhangi irrigation project, and a drinking water supply for every household. However, the problem of migration still plagues the constituency.
Apart from migration, Hinjili also faces other challenges such as the lack of cold storage facilities for farmers, which forces them to sell their produce at lower prices. Sisir Mishra, the BJP candidate running against Patnaik, believes that if adequate cold storage facilities are made available, it would significantly reduce the need for migration. He also points out that despite Patnaik's long stint as the MLA, no industry has been set up in the area to provide job opportunities.
Kartik Pandian, a close aide of Patnaik and a BJD leader, defends the Chief Minister's track record, saying that the rate of migration in Odisha has drastically decreased according to data from the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Government of India. He also highlights the state's efforts in skill development, with the World Skill Centre being located in Odisha.
Besides Hinjili, Patnaik is also contesting from Kantabanji, a constituency in western Odisha's Bolangir district. This is the second time he is contesting from two constituencies, having also contested from Bijepur in the 2019 elections, which he won. However, he retained Hinjili following the request of the people.
In Kantabanji, the migrant workers mostly go to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to work in brick kilns as daily laborers. Santosh Singh Saluja, the sitting Congress MLA contesting against Patnaik, highlights the issue of migration and questions whether the Chief Minister can assure the people of Kantabanji that it will stop under his leadership.
Saluja, who has been elected four times from Kantabanji, alleges that the BJD government has failed to set up any industries in the area, and the people do not have access to MGNREGA work. He also doubts whether Patnaik will retain Kantabanji if he wins from both constituencies, as he did in 2019 when he left Bijepur and retained Hinjili.
Despite these concerns, many voters in Kantabanji still have faith in Patnaik and believe that he will prioritize the development of their area if elected. Basanti Tandi, a member of a women's self-help group, says, "We will vote for the CM with the expectation that our area will get priority in the BJD government. Even if he quits, we trust that he will ensure the development of our area."
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