In Orissa, parties work on new gameplan

REDRAWING THE POLITICAL MAP

Those affected include CM Naveen Patnaik and deputy leader of opposition Narasimha Mishra.

With the Lok Sabha and Asembly elections in Orissa about a year away, the delimitation of constituencies, which has affected nearly one-third seats in the state, has come to haunt all major political parties here.

The parties have gone into a huddle to work out strategies and consider fielding new candidates.

Those affected include Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Narasimha Mishra, Congress leader and former chief minister Hemananda Biswal and half-a-dozen state ministers from the ruling parties, the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The chief minister's Hinjli constituency in Ganjam district has been redrawn to exclude Purusottampur block and include Seragada block.

Mishra's Loisingha Assembly seat has been reserved for scheduled castes while Biswal's Laikera seat has been abolished and reorganised, forcing the two to explore the possibility of testing their chances from nearby Sonepur and Kuchinda seats, respectively.

Energy Minister SN Patro (BJD), who will be ejected from his favourite Mohana seat as it has been reserved for scheduled tribes, is reportedly planning to shift to Digapahandi in the same district.

Among other BJD ministers, Agriculture Minister SN Nayak, whose Kakatpur seat has been reserved for scheduled castes, plans to contest from Nimapara.

Health Minister Sanatan Bisi's Rairakhol seat has been de-reserved and School and Mass Education Minister Sanjeeb Sahu's Birmaharajpur seat in Subarnapur district has been reserved, compelling them to look for seats elsewhere. Sahu is keen to contest from Athmallick, his native place.

In the BJP, Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal is said to be looking at Chandbali constituency as his Dhamnagar seat has been reserved for scheduled castes. Fisheries Minister Golak Nayak plans to contest from Baripada as his Khunta seat has been merged with other constituencies.

The BJP legislative party leader and Minister of Industries, Rural Development and Law, Biswabhusan Harichandan, represents Bhubaneswar. Now, there is uncertainty over his political future as the seat has been trifurcated into Bhubaneswar Central, Bhubaneswar North and Emakra-Bhubaneswar.

Uncertainty also looms over the future of BJP National Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, whose Deogarh Lok Sabha seat has been abolished and its constituent areas merged with Dhenkanal and the new Bargarh Lok Sabha seat.

State Congress heavyweights are no better off. While PCC President Jaydev Jena's Anandpur seat has been de-reserved, the reserved status of the seats held by senior Congress leaders like Anant Prasad Majhi (Bhandaripokhari) and Netranand Mallik (Chandbali) has been changed. The other Congress leaders who have been hit are Habibulla Kahn (Nowrangpur), Taraprasad Bahinipati (Koraput), Nimai Sarkar (Malkangiri), Chirnajiv Biswal (Tirtol), Dhanurjay Sidhu (Champua), Jagannath Rout (Dhamnagar), SS Bhoi (Saintala).

BJD MLAs like ex-minister Padmanabh Berhera (Phulbani), Bishnu Das (Jagatsinghpur), Sugyani Deo (Khallikote) and BJP MLAs Baidhar Mallick (Nimapara), Pramila Giri (Baisingha), Brundaban Majhi (Laikera), Mahesh Sahu (Talcher) and senior BJP leader and deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, Bed Prakash Agrawal (Kendrapra), have also been affected.

Meanwhile, the parties have started to factor in this changed scenario. The Pradesh Congress Committee last week held the first meeting of the delimitation review committee to assess the situation. Also, the chief minister is believed to have met the central leadership of his coalition partner, the BJP, to discuss the issue.

Sources in BJD said the party might swap certain seats with the BJP while keeping the share ratio at 84: 63 seats in their favour.

"The process of abolition, creation and reorganisation is causing damage to the emotional ties the leaders have with their electorate. People identify themselves with some particular constituency and its leaders. Their sense of identity and belongingness are being lost in the process of abolition and creation of constituencies," said senior Congress MLA Nalinikanta Mohanty.