Bhubaneswar: Kings have lost their divine right to rule, but members of many erstwhile royal families have been playing a very active role in electoral politics in Odisha. Enjoying a special identity, they hit the battleground in every election.
After independence, Maharaja of former Patna state Rajendra Narayan Singhdeo played a significant role in Odisha politics and became Chief Minister in 1967. His two sons – Rajaraj Singhdeo and Anang Uday Singhdeo remained quite active in Balangir and Patnagarh politics.
Anang Uday’s sons Kalikesh and Arkesh have also been actively involved in politics and the former has been fielded by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the upcoming elections in Balangir Assembly constituency. Kalikesh was elected to Lok Sabha twice in 2009 and 2014 from Balangir as BJD candidate.
Similarly, R N Singhdeo’s grandson Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo is likely to contest from Patnagarh Assembly seat as BJP candidate. A five-time MLA from Patnagarh, he was defeated by BJD’s Saroj Meher in 2019 polls.
His wife Sangeeta Singhdeo, who had won from Balangir Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, is seeking re-election from the same seat this time after being re-nominated by BJP.
Sangeeta was elected from the Balangir Lok Sabha seat in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2019. She had lost to her brother-in-law Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo in the same seat in 2009 and 2014. In 2019, however, she defeated Kalikesh by a margin of 19,51.
Members of former princely states have been playing a special role in Ganjam politics. Maharani of Khallikote V Sugnan Kumari Deo, who was a ten-time MLA in Odisha, passed away recently. She had dominated the political turf in Khallikot and Kabisuryanagar during her long political career.
Similarly, Chikiti queen and Minister Usha Devi has been a popular woman leader of BJD in south Odisha. While Usah Devi appeared to have stayed from electoral battle this time, her son Chinmayananda Srirup Deb has been nominated by BJD for Chikiti Assembly constituency.
Likewise, queen of Dharakot Nandini Devi was elected from Sanakhemundi Assembly seat in 2014 elections on BJD ticket. However, she was defeated by Ramesh Jena of Congress in 2019 polls. This time, her daughter Sulakshana Gitanjali Devi is likely to seek election. Gajapati royal family scion Kalyani Gajapati contested the 2019 elections as a BJD candidate. Her political career seemed to have come to an end after her defeat in the last elections.
Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Kamakshya Prasad Singideo, who hailed from the erstwhile Dhenkanal royal family, is no longer active in politics. However, his daughter-in-law Meenal Kumari Singhdeo is likely to seek election from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket this time.
BJD leader and former Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo of Kalahandi royal family was defeated by BJP’s Basant Panda in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party has fielded Malvika Devi, wife of Kalahandi royal family scion Arka Keshari Deo, from the Lok Sabah constituency.
Arka Keshari Deo was elected to Lok Sabha from the Kalahandi seat in 2014 as a BJD candidate after the death of his father Bikram Keshari Deo, who won the seat thrice.
Arka Keshari Deo and his wife quit the BJD after being denied party ticket in 2019. They joined the BJP in 2023.
Senior BJD leader and Minister Pratap Keshari Deb has been re-nominated by the ruling party from Aul Assembly constituency in Kendrapada district.
Siddharth Sekhar Singh was BJD MLA from 2009 to 2014. He had later switched allegiance to the saffron party and unsuccessfully fought 2019 elections from Khandapada on BJP ticket against Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.
