Odisha Elections 2024: Can Ramesh Retain Sanakhemundi In Tough Three-Way Fight ?

Berhampur: Sanakhemundi in Odisha’s Ganjam is getting ready for a tough three-way fight between Congress heavyweight Ramesh Jena, BJD’s Sulakshana Geetanjali Devi from Dharakote royal family and BJP’s Uttam Panigrahi, a known face in the district.

Since its formation in 2009, Sanakhemundi Assembly constituency will go to polls for the fourth time this year. The Assembly seat which is a part of Aska Lok Sabha constituency was constituted in 2009 and comprises Dharakot and Sanakhemundi blocks.

In the first polls in 2009, Congress candidate Ramesh Chandra Jena had won defeating BJP’s Kishore Chandra Singhdeo of the erstwhile Dharakote royal family. Ramesh got 50,487 votes while Singhdeo polled 26,894 votes.  

But in 2014, he was defeated by BJD candidate Nandini Devi by more than 8,000 votes. BJD got 61,773 votes while Congress polled 53,551 votes, BJP’s Birkishore got only 6,053 votes.

Nandini Devi is Singhdeo’s wife and was fielded by BJD from the constituency in 2014 after her husband’s demise in 2010.

In 2019, the voters once again voted the Congress candidate back to power. Ramesh got 75,021 votes and defeated Nandini Devi, who polled 51,294 votes by 23,000 votes. BJP’s Bijaya Kumar Swain got only 15,335 votes.

What’s interesting is the Sankhemundi voters have as of now ensured that the same party and same candidates are not elected in consecutive elections.

In 2019, Sanakhemundi was the only seat acquired by Congress in Ganjam.

However, the 2024 win is difficult to predict.

The Congress candidate has already defeated Nandini Devi and her husband Kishore Chandra earlier and this time he will be again fighting with a royal family member Sulakshana, their young daughter. If Ramesh has a stronghold in the constituency having won twice, Sulakshana though young has already gained popularity among the people of the area in recent times. She was elected the block chairperson at the young age of 25.

The Assembly election fight in Sanakhemundi as of now has always been between a royal family member and Congress’s Ramesh. But this time things may be different. BJP has fielded Uttam Panigrahi, who has also been actively reaching out to people of the entire district, on different issues. BJP may thus gain from Panigrahi’s popularity factor and win from the constituency for the first time.

Ramesh, Sulakshana and Uttam can all be seen actively campaigning and engaging with people to garner votes. But what is evident is Congress, BJP or BJD, none can be sure of an easy win.