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Absence of a pre-poll pact with Left parties this time may make the battle tough for actor-politician and sitting BJD MP Sidhant Mohapatra in this Lok Sabha seat, once represented by former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, against Congress. Political observers say the ruling party in the state had entered into seat adjustments with the Left parties for 2009 polls which proved beneficial for it in many areas, including Berhampur. Significantly, the constituency, spread over seven assembly segments in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, has also returned Congress candidates to the Lower House as many as 12 out of 15 times.
The exceptions were the first general election in 1952 (CPI), 1999 (BJP) and 2009 (BJD). Sidhant won last election defeating sitting Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Congress' candidate. However, presence of Left candidates this time in some segments, including Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, may cause division of votes of ruling BJD. And any division of votes of BJD will be a gain for Congress and BJP in the April 10 poll, analysts feel. Congress has renominated former Union minister Sahu while BJP has fielded Rama Chandra Panda. Besides fielding Ali Kishor Patnaik in Berhampur parliamentary constituency, CPI-M has also put up its candidates for four assembly segments of Berhampur, Digapahandi, Mohana and Paralakhemundi, falling under Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.
CPI also fielded candidates in Aska, Chhatrapur, Sanakhemundi and Khallokote assembly segments in Ganjam district of which Chhatrapur comes under Berhampur LS seat. All these are bound to change the poll configuration making the path for BJD arduous, observers feel. In the changed scenario, a keen contest is poised to be witnessed in Berhampur, from where former Prime Minister Rao had been elected to Lok Sabha in 1996. Despite the presence of 11 candidates in the race, a direct contest seems to be in the offing between BJD and Congress this time in the cyclone Phailin ravaged consituency.
"Congress is leaving no stone unturned this time to restore its lost glory," says Bhagaban Gantayat, Ganjam district Congress committee president. Non-performance of the sitting BJD MP will also be a main poll issue during the campaigning, say Congress leaders. The actor-turned-MP not only failed to perform in Parliament to raise issues but also neglected the constituency and its people, they claim. Mohapatra spent only 57.21 per cent of the released amount on his MPLAD funds during 2009-13. "After his victory, Mohapatra had no contact with people of the area. Even during the cyclone Phailin last year, he had not visited to show sympathy with victims," says Rama Chandra Sahu, a tea-stall owner here. Mohapatra had claimed that he visited several areas and arranged for relief for cyclone victims. He, however, admits about his poor attendance in Lok Sabha. "There are so many people in the House to take part in debate and raise issues," he says. Poor utilisation of fund in MPLAD was due to scrutiny in several channels, he says, adding, he had recommended projects worth over Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore. "I don't want to comment about Sidhant's performance in the past five years," says Sahu. The Congress leader claims most of the development projects were taken up in this constituency during his tenure as an MP and Union minister. The BJP nominee says both Congress and BJD have failed miserably to mitigate the basic problems of the people.
