Odisha Elections 2024: What Makes Rayagada Assembly Fight Special?

Rayagada: With poll fever now gripping all parts of Odisha, an interesting battle is likely to be witnessed in Rayagada Assembly constituency in the upcoming elections. While a triangular fight is expected to be seen in the constituency among the three major political parties, observers are of the opinion that a last-minute surprise cannot be ruled out.

What makes the Assembly seat special is that independent candidate Makaranda Muduli won the elections in 2019 defeating veteran tribal leader and former Minister Lak Bihari Himirika. Stated to be the only independent candidate to have tasted victory in 2019 elections in the state, Makaranda had polled 52,844 votes to beat Himirika by over 4,870 votes.

In a bid to play the woman card in the constituency, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has fielded Anusuya Majhi, daughter of former Minister Anant Ram Majhi, in Rayagada. However, her candidature triggered widespread resentment in the Naveen Patnaik-led regional party. Hundreds of BJD workers had resigned from the party protesting the decision to field Anusaya, dubbing her a ‘Congress import’. Anusaya was a chairperson of the special development council.

The dissenting workers, including the chairperson and 20 councillors of the Rayagada municipality and elected representatives of Rayagada and Kashipur blocks, were aggrieved by the leadership’s preference for newcomers to long-serving workers. The protesters contended that Anusuya, who is originally from Congress, has been made the candidate, overlooking many deserving candidates within the party.

The workers claimed that the decision to nominate Majhi was made without consulting any of the workers. However, senior BJD leaders maintained that party workers must abide by the decision of the leadership like disciplined members. The ruling BJD stuck to the decision saying that people leaving the party would not have any impact on the result.

In its bid to snatch the seat from the regional party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has renominated Basanta Kumar Ullaka in Rayagada constituency. Basanta had polled 24,425 votes in 2019 elections. Similarly, Congress has also repeated Kadraka Appalaswamy for Rayagada seat, which comes under the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency. Appalaswamy had polled 39,657 votes and secured the third position in 2019 elections.

Speculations are also rife that Makaranda, who had won the seat as an independent candidate last time, may jump into the fray this time too. The sitting legislator had not joined BJD, but there was a demand from a section in the ruling party to field him in the constituency. His entry into the battlefield is likely to make the fight more exciting.