Date:24/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/24/stories/2008112456200300.htm

Other States - Orissa

BJD activists demand Parlakhemundi seat

Staff Reporter

Naveen participates in BJD rally

After delimitation Guma block would be part of the Paralakhemundi
Thirteen sarpanches who were Congress supporters have joined BJD

BERHAMPUR: The BJD activists of Gajapati district on Sunday demanded the BJD high command and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to let BJD candidate contest from Paralakhemundi Assembly segment in the coming Assembly polls.

They opposed any move to hand over the seat to the BJP as part of the electoral alliance.

Mr. Patnaik was in Paralakhemundi on Sunday. During his stay he also attended a ‘Bikash Samavesh’ rally of the BJD. These rallies are said to be show of strength of the party before the coming polls.

At this rally most of the speakers were of the opinion that it was high time for the party to stake claim over the Paralakhemundi Assembly seat. Narayan Rao was projected as the candidate for the seat.

Speakers like Gajapati Zilla Parishad member Ch. Simadri, youth BJD president of the district, Pradeep Nayak, Gosani block chairman Ch. Tarakeswari openly supported the candidature of Mr. Rao at this meeting in front of the BJD supremo. The chairperson of the Paralakhemundi municipality, P. Krishna said handing over the seat to the BJP would be a blunder. State Cabinet Minister, Suryanarayan Patro who was present at this rally opined that as per the enthusiasm being shown by the party workers the Paralakhemundi seat should be contested by the BJD.

After delimitation Guma block would be part of the Paralakhemundi Assembly constituency. Already 13 sarpanches who were earlier Congress supporters have joined the BJD. Congress always claimed Guma to be its support base in Gajapati district as it had 17 sarpanches who were Congress supporters.

After delimitation, Gajapati district is to have two Assembly constituencies Mohana and Paralakhemundi. If the alliance with BJP continues, then Mohana constituency which would have major portion of present Ramgiri constituency would be handed over to the BJP as it has sitting MLA from the party. The BJD is eyeing the Paralakhemundi Assembly seat. Mr. Nayak said “BJD leader Rao had contested as an independent candidate from Paralakhemundi in the last Assembly polls as it was handed over to the BJP as part of alliance. But the BJP candidate had got only 8,000 votes while Rao had lost to the Congress candidate by around 5,000 votes”. But the BJD chief preferred to keep mum over the issue during his speech.

From Gajapati district Mr. Patnaik moved into Rayagada district .