Pradhan to face off with BJD strongman in Sambalpur battle
The Sambalpur parliamentary constituency in Odisha, among all the 21 major Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, has suddenly gained new political prominence after the BJP landed Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its candidate. It’s largely because the state’s ruling BJD has fielded party’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das against Mr Pradhan.
The Union minister, who kept himself busy in advisory electoral politics as an observer and Rajya Sabha member, has returned to electoral exercises after a long hiatus of almost one-and-half decades.
After the BJP on March 25 named Mr Pradhan as its candidate for Sambalpur, the BJD leaders went to a huddle and decided that Pranab Prakash will be the bestsuited person to give a check to him.
As the campaigning for the Sambalpur seat gains momentum, both Mr Pradhan and Mr Das, along with their cadres and party workers, appear to be leaving no stone unturned to connect with the voters. During his campaign trail, the Union minister is seen visiting temples and offering puja there and eating food in houses of Dalits and marginalised people.
He is also found to hold foot marches to get closer to the voters.
The BJD strongman, on the other hand, is seen holding bike rallies and small street meetings, where he shares with the crowd the Naveen Patnaik government’s welfare measures meant for them and promises more such benefits.
A victory for Mr Pradhan would mean a lot for him and his career as he would emerge as “giant killer”, as BJD organisation secretary Pranab Prakash has been able to fetch astounding victories for his party ever since he joined the party a little over a decade ago. He will also be able to send a message out to his opponents in the saffron party that he too knows how to win elections.