Post-Poll Analysis: Odisha Voters Averse To Family Politics

Lok Sabha and Assembly election results in Odisha show that people are no more interested in family politics, as they have rejected leaders who had contested the polls along with their kin.

To begin with, BJP leader Dama Rout and his son, BJD candidate Sambit Routray, had contested the elections from Balikuda-Erasama and Paradeep constituencies respectively. Dama lost the election while his son won.

Similarly, senior BJP leader KV Singh Deo and his wife Sangeeta had contested the polls. While Sangeeta won the Balangir Lok Sabha seat, KV lost the Patnagarh Assembly seat.

Besides, two brothers of the royal family from Balangir — Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo and Arkesh — had contested the Balangir Lok Sabha and the Balangir Assembly seats respectively on BJD tickets, but both lost.

Senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra and his son Samarendra had contested the Balangir Assembly and Lok Sabha seats. The latter lost.

Besides, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik and his son Nabajyoti were in the poll fray. While Niranjan lost from Ghasipura and Bhandaripokhari constituencies, his son met the same fate in Balasore Lok Sabha seat, losing to the BJP’s Pratap Sarangi.

Another Congress leader and former MP, Bhakta Charan Das, and his son Sagar lost the Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat and Bhawanipatna Assembly seat respectively.

Voters also rejected Congress leader George Tirkey and his son Rohit Joseph Tirkey who lost the Sundargarh Lok Sabha and Biramitrapur Assembly seats respectively.

They also rejected the two daughters of the senior Congress leader and former chief minister Hemananda Biswal — Sunita and Amita — who had joined the BJD and the Congress and contested the Sundargarh Lok Sabha and Sundargarh Assembly seats respectively.