May 5th 2024.
Bhubaneswar, the vibrant capital city of Odisha, is abuzz with discussions about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. One constituency that has caught everyone's attention is the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency in southern Odisha, which will go to the polls on May 13.
The Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency comprises some parts of Nabarangpur district and also includes areas of Koraput and Malkangiri districts. The three major political parties have fielded their candidates for this seat, making it a highly contested battle. The BJD has nominated Pradeep Majhi, a former MP, the BJP has chosen Balabhadra Majhi, also a former MP, and the Congress has nominated veteran tribal leader Bhujabal Majhi, who has been a three-time MLA from Dabugam.
One of the major issues in this constituency is the lack of industry, irrigation facilities, and employment opportunities. The Congress candidate has raised concerns about the government's failure to address these issues, especially in Nabarangpur district. He claims that during his three terms as an MLA, he has worked tirelessly for the development of Dabugam and the people there have seen the positive results of his efforts. He hopes that the people of Nabarangpur will support him this time as well, as he promises to bring a fresh perspective to the Lok Sabha constituency.
The Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency has been a stronghold of the Congress party, having won the seat 12 out of the 17 general elections held since Independence. However, the last two elections have been narrowly lost by the Congress. In the first Lok Sabha election in 1951, Ponada Subarao of Gantantra Parishad had won the seat by defeating Jagdish Chandra Naik of Congress. The Congress party then dominated the seat for the next 10 consecutive elections, with Khagapati Pradhani as their winning candidate. However, the BJD managed to win the seat in 2009, followed by two consecutive wins by the BJP in 2014 and 2019.
The BJD candidate, Pradeep Majhi, credits Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the development of Malkangiri district, which he says has become a leading district in Odisha. He plans to seek votes by highlighting the developmental programs implemented by the BJD in the constituency. Pradeep Majhi himself had won from the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2009 elections on a Congress ticket.
On the other hand, the BJP candidate, Balabhadra Majhi, has accused the BJD government of completely neglecting the Nabarangpur constituency. He believes that the people are seeking a change and are tired of the lack of development in the area under the BJD regime. Balabhadra himself had won from this constituency in 2014 on a BJD ticket but is now contesting from the BJP.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Nabarangpur will be crucial as the tribal voters and about two lakh Bengalis, who migrated from Bangladesh in the 1970s, are expected to play a significant role in deciding the outcome. The Bengali settlers, who had migrated to the area in the early 1970s, now live in 213 villages in Malkangiri district and 64 villages in Nabarangpur district. They belong to the scheduled caste category and are an important vote bank in the constituency.
The Lok Sabha constituency includes seven assembly segments - Umerkote, Jharigam, Nabarangpur, and Dabugam in Nabarangpur district, Kotpad in Koraput district, and Malkangiri and Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district. All eyes are now on the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency, and the political parties are leaving no stone unturned to secure a victory as the election day draws near.
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