Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held discussions with members of the Binjhal tribe ahead of announcing the BJD candidate for the December 5 bypoll to the Padmapur assembly seat, which has a large number of voters in the community.
The by-election had to be held on 3 October due to the death of MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha.
The members of the community were considered to be supporters of Bariha, who was elected five times from Padmapur and belonged to the tribal group.
Binjal Samaj president Hrishikesh Bariha said that during the meeting with the chief minister on Sunday, the community members made it clear that they would support only Bariha’s wife Tilottama or one of their daughters as the ruling party candidate.
“We have told the chief minister that the community will support the BJD if Bariha’s wife is made the candidate. We have no problem if any of his daughters get a ticket. But, other family members like his nephew or bahu (nephew’s wife) are not accepted,” he said.
Binjal Samaj member Ashwini Bhoi, who was part of the team that met the chief minister, said the BJD candidate would win the bypoll if the party fielded Bariha’s wife or their daughter.
However, BJD sources said the leadership is in a quandary on whether to field a candidate from the Bariha family as the Congress and the BJP have nominated two veteran politicians for the bypolls.
The Congress fielded three-time MLA Satya Bhushan Sahu, while former MLA Pradeep Purohit got the ticket from the saffron party.
A section of BJD leaders believe that Bariha’s wife may not be fit for the upcoming election, even if she gets sympathy votes.
“Now the focus is on Bariha’s two young daughters – Barsrani and Kadambini,” said a BJD leader. Meanwhile, Nayagarh Additional Collector Mahendra Badhei has resigned as he is keen on getting a ticket from the ruling party in the state for the Padmapur bypoll.
They are being projected by another section of leaders in the BJD.
However, all party leaders said that they would accept the chief minister’s decision on the selection of the candidate.
The Padampur bypoll has become a prestige issue for the ruling BJD after the recent defeat in the Dhamnagar bypoll.
In the 2019 assembly elections, Bariha defeated Purohit from the Padmapur constituency by a margin of over 5,500 votes.
Purohit had won the seat in the 2014 assembly elections.
Congress candidate Satya Bhushan Sahu was elected from Padmapur thrice in 1980, 1985 and 2004.
Meanwhile, the people of Padmapur intensified the demand for a separate district, which is supported by all the three major parties.
Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari and senior BJD leader Sushant Singh on Sunday met the agitating members of Padmapur District Kriyastan Samiti and invited them for a meeting with the Chief Minister.
“The action committee for the creation of a separate Padmapur district had earlier met the CM and discussed the issue. Padmapur sub-division covers a vast geographical area. BJD has full support for the demand for making a separate district from Bargarh.
BJP MP from Bargarh Suresh Pujari also met the committee members and supported their demand.
“Though the people of Padmapur were earlier assured of a separate district, the government did not fulfill it,” Pujari said.
Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said his party would fight for the demand.
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