The 2009 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Orissa witnessed a growth in the number of independent candidates compared to the last elections held in 2004 even though the success rate of such candidates has been dismal in Orissa politics.
As many as 35 out of a total of 157 contestants for the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 371 out of 1,287 candidates in147 Assembly constituencies in the state in this year’s elections were independent candidates. In the 2004 twin polls in Orissa, 26 out of 297 contestants for the Lok Sabha and 100 out of 802 candidates for the Assembly seats were independents.
“The number of contestants in the fray for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Orissa has increased this time due to political polarization. It is also one of the reasons for the increase in the number of independent candidates this time compared to the last elections”, said JK Barala, former vice-chancellor of Berhampur University. Till date, only six independent candidates have made it to the Lok Sabha, while 110 independents made it to the Assembly from the state since 1952. Most of the independent candidates were rebels who had been denied party tickets. At present, the Orissa assembly had eight independent candidates. “Winning and losing doesn’t matter for me. I am contesting the elections to reform the election process and to free the polls from money and muscle power”, said K Shyambabu Subudhi, an independent candidate of Aska and Berhampur Lok Sabha seats.