Can BJD’s Political Novice Stop Lotus From Blooming In Keonjhar?

Keonjhar: It’s turning out to be a direct contest for Keonjhar parliamentary seat between the BJD and the BJP with political greenhorn Chandrani Murmu taking on two-time MP Ananta Naik.

Twenty-five-year-old Murmu, who is the youngest among the Lok Sabha candidates in Odisha, is the granddaughter of former MP Harihar Soren. Her nomination came as a surprise to many, even as the BJD, playing the woman card, gave her the ticket to stand for the polls in this mineral-rich belt. The support of Independent MLA from Champua Sanatan Mahakud, who has a strong clout in north Keonjhar, is believed to have helped Murmu pocket the BJD ticket. Mahakud is not contesting the elections this time, ostensibly to support the Naveen Patnaik-led party.

An engineering graduate, Murmu got embroiled in a controversy when an obscene video allegedly featuring a morphed went viral. Undeterred, she has been trying hard to make it three-in-a-row for the BJD. Yashobant Laguri and his wife Shakuntala had won in 2009 and 2014 respectively. Murmu said she is impressed with Naveen’s welfare schemes and development works and wants to carry it forward.

However, it has not been easy going for the regional party with pollsters talking about a saffron surge in certain parts like Telkoi, Champua, Keonjhar Sadar and Karanjia making the contest close. The BJD is believed to have a better presence in Ghasipura, where minister Badri Narayan Patra has locked horns with OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, Patna and Anandapur, where also like Ghasipura the Congress is said to have a stronger support base than the BJP.

Political observers believe the contest this time is keen and the BJP has as much a chance to win as the BJD. Congress’ Mohan Hembram is said to be trailing behind. BJP’s Naik, who was Keonjhar MP in 1999 and 2004 when BJP had an alliance with the BJD, is leaving no stone unturned as he senses this is his best opportunity to resurrect his political career. Development and national security are his poll planks, Naik said.