Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest from a second seat, Kantabanji, in the state’s western region, besides his traditional bastion of Hinjili, in the upcoming assembly elections.
It was in 2019 that Patnaik, for the first time in his political journey, decided to contest from a seat in the western region, sensing BJP’s emergence in the state.
Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state are held simultaneously.
In the last assembly polls in Kantabanji, Bag had secured 64,118 votes (33.53%), losing by just 118.
Ever since he started contesting assembly polls in Odisha in 2000, Patnaik has been representing the Hinjili assembly seat under Aska Lok Sabha seat.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will contest from a second seat, Kantabanji, in the state’s western region, besides his traditional bastion of Hinjili, in the upcoming assembly elections.
Party insiders say Patnaik picking a second seat in the western part of the state – a rerun of the 2019 polls – is aimed to counter the BJP’s growth in the region. As compared to the coastal and southern regions, the BJD, leaders say, is “relatively weak” in the western parts, and Patnaik’s decision is meant to highlight his commitment to the region, which comprises five Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly segments. Kantabanji falls under the Balangir Lok Sabha segment.
It was in 2019 that Patnaik, for the first time in his political journey, decided to contest from a seat in the western region, sensing BJP’s emergence in the state. He had then chosen Bijepur, under the Bargarh parliamentary seat, apart from Hinjili. While he won both the seats with a thumping majority, Patnaik retained his traditional seat, vacating Bijepur.
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His decision to contest from a second seat in western Odisha had helped the regional party win a majority of assembly seats, even as the BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls in the region, winning all five parliamentary constituencies. Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state are held simultaneously.
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“The CM is not the leader of one particular constituency, he is the leader of 4.5 crore people. People in all 147 constituencies want the CM to represent them in the assembly. Though he can represent only one seat as per law, the move proves his commitment to all constituencies,” senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said.
In Kantabanji, Patnaik will take on sitting Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja, who has been repeated by the party, and BJP’s Laxman Bag, who lost the last poll by a narrow margin.
In the last assembly polls in Kantabanji, Bag had secured 64,118 votes (33.53%), losing by just 118. BJD’s Ajay Kumar Das had finished third in Kantabanji, securing 54,527 votes (28.51%).
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With a significant presence of Punjabi and Marwari voters, Kantabanji has traditionally witnessed a fight between two archrivals — Saluja and BJD’s Ayub Khan – since 2000.
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The constituency’s geographical position – it shares the border with neighbouring Chhattisgarh and is nestled between the Balangir and Kalahandi parliamentary constituencies – makes it strategically significant. “In fighting from here, the chief minister also hopes to also counter the BJP wave from Chhattisgarh,” said a senior BJD leader.
Ever since he started contesting assembly polls in Odisha in 2000, Patnaik has been representing the Hinjili assembly seat under Aska Lok Sabha seat. Both assembly seats will go to polls in the fifth phase, on May 20.
