Has Anubhav Mohanty Lost His ‘Star’ Value For BJD?

Bhubaneswar: Ollywood superstar-turned-MP Anubhav Mohanty has again been left out of the star campaigners’ list of BJD, this time for Brajrajnagar bypoll. The list released on Tuesday includes only Ollywood actors Arindam Roy and Akash Dasnayak.

Anubhav, who was inducted into the party in 2013 with much fanfare, seems to have fallen from the grace of the ruling party bosses. He campaigned extensively during the 2014 general elections and was awarded a Rajya Sabha seat the same year. His stature within BJD slowly grew and he was fielded against Baijayant Panda, once a close confidant of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a prestige battle from Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Anubhav did not disappoint the party as he wrested the seat from Baijayant.

However, he soon drew flak for allegedly misbehaving with the media. His personal issues, including the ongoing divorce and domestic abuse cases, apparently dented his image, adversely affecting his political stick. His flaunting his friendship with a New Delhi-based TV anchor is not being seen in good taste in certain quarters, especially in political circles, considering that he is fighting a battle for divorce with his estranged wife Varsha Priyadarshini.

Also Read: Naveen In BJD’s List Of 40 Star Campaigners For Brajarajnagar Bypoll

BJD insiders feel Anubhav’s marital strife robbed him of his star campaigner tag with the party fearing backlash if he is at the forefront of the campaign and his name went missing from the list for Balasore Sadar, Tritol and Pipili bypolls.

Professionally too, Anubhav has not had any big releases lately. While his last movie ‘Biju Babu’ was released in March 2019, he is now gearing up for  ‘Raavan..when love becomes obsession’. If this was not enough, he was in recent months replaced in a show which he hosted on a leading Odia entertainment channel.

BJD sources further feel, once an asset for the party, Anubhav is gradually losing sheen as the party honchos are seemingly keen on introducing changes in Kendrapara’s political dynamics. Can Anubhav regain his position?