Berhampur: Difficult for BJD to retain Chikiti

Berhampur : Chikiti Assembly segment of Ganjam district, a part of Berhampur Parliamentary Constituency, which was a Congress stronghold and later wrested by BJD after the victory of ‘Chikiti Rani’ Usha Devi since 2000, may witness a changed political scenario in the 2024 polls. Though Chikiti is now inclined towards the new generation of two prominent political families, it will be difficult for the BJD to retain its stronghold this time. Despite the BJP’s gains, the BJD vehemently denies any impact on its stronghold.

The BJD has fielded Srirup Deo, son of State minister Usha Devi, who had been representing the Chikiti Assembly segment continuously six times since 2000.

Rabindranath Dyan Samantara, son of veteran Congress leader and former Odisha Assembly Speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantara, is the Congress candidate. Interestingly, both are new faces and belong to two families who have dominated the area for decades.

Though Srirup is being projected as the political heir of Usha Devi, the senior party leaders prefer the queen to take the mantle forward. Many senior leaders even murmur ‘Maa thia hele heba, pua hele birodha’ (if mother will contest, it’s okay, but son will face opposition). Though people are loyal to the royal family, the political equation has changed following the demise of Usha Devi’s brother-in-law Durga Prasad Deo. Srirup Deo, an industrialist, is yet to gain voters’ acceptance despite his mother’s support.

Rabindranath Dyan Samantara describes his father Chintamani as his role model and says family and politics are two separate things. However, his younger brother Manoranjan Dyan Samantara, who fought two election battles unsuccessfully, (2014 on Congress ticket and 2019 on BJP ticket), has been declared as the BJP candidate for Chikiti in 2024 polls. Though two Dyan Samantara brothers are pitched in the election battle this time, Manoranjan alleged that the BJD and the Congress are in nexus to defeat him in Chikiti.

In 2019, Usha Devi of BJD secured 73,353 votes while Manoranjan polled 52,718 votes. The margin of victory was 20,635 votes. Similarly, in 2014, Usha Devi won the Chikiti seat by a margin of 32,148 votes. Usha secured 74,849 votes while Manoranjan of Congress polled 42,701 votes. Manoranjan has further strengthened his support base by retaining 14 Sarpanch and 14 Samiti member seats in the last panchayat polls in Patrapur block and 4 Sarpanch and 3 Samiti members in Chikiti block in the Assembly segment.

The Chikiti Assembly segment consists of Patrapur block, Chikiti block and Chikiti NAC area.

However, Chintamani Dyan Samantara, father of the two sons who are in the election battle, said, “my sons are now grown up and they are in politics with their own ideologies. Congress is in my blood and I would vote for it. Manoranjan Dyan Samantara though is in BJP, he is not my enemy. Rather, he is my son. But I am not in his party.” Chintamani was elected to Assembly as an Independent candidate in 1980, as Congress candidate in 1985, as Independent again in 1995 and as Congress candidate in 2009.

The BJD faces internal turmoil in Chikiti with party activists divided between supporting Usha Devi and Srirup Deo. Some expressed their dissatisfaction with the royal family’s leadership and an appreciation for Manoranjan’s personal approach.

“We were unable to tolerate the ‘dictatorship’ of the royal family. Rather, we appreciate the work process of Manoranjan.” Political analysts see this as a warning bell for the BJD.