Bhubaneswar: Familial conflicts over the claim to the political throne have been recurrent throughout history. From the epic battles of Pandavas and Kauravas to more recent political rivalries among kinsmen, family members have often found themselves at opposite ends of the political spectrum. And the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are no exception.
With several ruling Congress Ministers in Karnataka having fielded their sons, daughters or relatives in the Lok Sabha election, the pressure is on them to drive the campaign from the front and ensure their victory.
With electoral battle turning out to be an acid test for family ties, one can see members of rival political parties under one roof. The family of Congress veteran Suresh Routray seems to have been split into three divisions ahead of the twin elections in Odisha. Popularly known as ‘Sura Bhai’, the six-time MLA had managed to wade through the strong BJD and Narendra Modi wave in 2019 elections to get elected from Jatani Assembly constituency.
However, after Sura Routray decided to stay away from poll battle, His two sons are contesting elections this time. His younger son Manmath was fielded from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency barely two hours after he joined the ruling party, sparking a tug of war in the family. Following this, Sura Routray resigned from all committees and positions in Congress. Annoyed over the development, Sura’s elder son Siddharth announced his decision to contest from Jatani Assembly constituency as an independent candidate. Senior Routray appears to be in a tight spot, not knowing in whose favour he will campaign for the upcoming polls.
Similar is the story with senior BJD leader and former MP Prasanna Patsani as utter confusion seems to have gripped his family after his son-in-law and former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra resigned from the ruling party alleging ‘continuous neglect.’ Priyadarshi was elected from Bhubaneswar North Assembly constituency in 2014 as a BJD candidate. However, the regional party denied him party ticket in 2019 elections and nominated Susant Rout from the Assembly seat. After being unable to get ticket assurance this time also, Priyadarshi quit BJD and joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prasanna Patnsani, who was also denied BJD ticket in 2019, is likely to fight from Chilika Assembly constituency this time. However, it is yet to be finalised.
Balangir royal family has been witnessing interesting fights during elections. Veteran leader Anang Uday Singhdeo and his two sons Kalikesh and Arkesh have been hardcore BJD members. However, Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo and his wife Sangeeta Singhdeo have been fighting elections as prominent BJP leaders. Kalikesh has been fielded by BJD from Balangir Assembly constituency this time, while BJP has nominated Sangeets from Balangir Lok Sabha seat. Earlier, both have crossed swords in Balangir Lok Sabha constituency, which has been witnessing high-profile battle among royal family scions.
Another interesting chapter has unfolded after Arindam Roy, brother-in-law of BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das resigned from the ruling party and joined BJP. Arindam is stated to have found it difficult to get BJD ticket because of the ‘one-family-one-ticket’ rule adopted by the regional party. It is to be seen whether actor-turn-politician Arindam will be able to gain politically after joining the saffron brigade.
