Bhubaneswar, April 6: All attention is riveted on the Balasore Lok Sabha constituency, where the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is yet to unveil its candidate, causing a flurry of speculation. While the Naveen Patnaik-led party has already declared nominees for 20 out of the 21 Parliamentary seats in the state, the delay in Balasore has piqued interest.
In contrast, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promptly announced candidates for all 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. The cautious approach of the BJD suggests a thorough evaluation of potential candidates before a final decision is made for the coastal Lok Sabha constituency.
There's uncertainty whether the ruling party will re-nominate Rabindra Kumar Jena or introduce a fresh face. Speculations abound, with some suggesting the possibility of the BJD fielding a female candidate to challenge BJP's incumbent MP, Pratap Chandra Sarangi.
The suspense surrounding Balasore has kept ticket aspirants on edge, with sleepless nights becoming commonplace. The delay in candidate announcement from BJD has also stirred anxiety among supporters of potential candidates.
Political observers indicate that Rabindra Jena holds a favorable position in the race for the BJD ticket, despite his defeat by Pratap Sarangi in the 2019 elections. In 2014, Rabindra secured victory in the Parliamentary seat, which may work in his favor this time around.
However, BJD's adherence to the one-family-one-ticket rule poses a potential hurdle, given Rabindra's wife, Subasini, has already been nominated for the Basta Assembly constituency. This rigid rule might rule out Rabindra's candidacy.
Meanwhile, former minister Raghunath Mohanty's departure from the BJP and potential switch to BJD adds another layer of intrigue. Mohanty, a significant political figure and five-time MLA from Basta in Balasore district, had joined BJP in 2019 but faced defeat in the last elections.
His history with BJD, including his expulsion due to a dowry torture case filed by his daughter-in-law, could affect his re-entry. However, speculations arise that BJD might consider fielding Barsa Sony Choudhury, Mohanty's daughter-in-law and the central figure in the aforementioned case, as a potential candidate for the Balasore Lok Sabha seat.
BJD's track record of fielding women candidates, along with their nomination of six women for Lok Sabha polls this time, suggests the possibility of surprising everyone with a female candidate for the Balasore seat.
