Odisha Elections 2024: Will Cuttack Witness Bhartruhari Vs Santrupt Battle?

Cuttack: Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency may witness a battle between political stalwart Bhartruhari Mahatab and Santrupt Misra, a greenhorn, in the upcoming elections in Odisha.

The BJD on Wednesday fielded the former HR head of Aditya Birla Group, replacing six-time MP from the constituency Bhartruhari who resigned from the party last week. Misra joined the BJD last month and was appointed party’s national spokesperson moments later. Speculation about his potential entry into the Naveen Patnaik-led party had been circulating since he opted for voluntary retirement from his corporate position in December. This will be his electoral debut.

The BJP might field Bhartruhari, the steady face of BJD from Cuttack since 1998. While he resigned from BJD on March 22, claiming that ‘Asura Shakti’ has taken firm grip over the party and government, his alleged saffron leaning had already put a cloud over his candidature from the seat this time. He quit the regional party moments after BJP state president Manmohan Samal announced that the saffron party will fight all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Vidhan Sabha seats alone.

While he is yet to join the BJP, speculation is rife that it is a just a matter of time. The saffron party is yet to announce candidates for Cuttack, Jajpur and Kandhamal Lok Sabha seats.

Bhartruhari shares a good relationship with the BJP central leadership. His meeting with Amit Shah in New Delhi in January had also fuelled speculation about the Cuttack MP joining the BJP ahead of the upcoming elections. Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan in March 2023 also hailed him as Bhishma Pitamah of Odisha politics.

He is also lauded across party lines for informative parliamentary debates and is the recipient of Outstanding Parliamentarian Award 2017, Sansad Ratna Award 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.