Odisha Secretariat (Image credit Pradeep Kumar Panda)
By Pradeep Kumar Panda
Bhubaneswar, March 18: Naveen Patnaik, who has been the Chief Minister of Odisha for 24 straight years, will seek a sixth consecutive term in the eastern state during the assembly elections in May-June and set sight on becoming the longest serving chief minister of any province in the country.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the four-phase assembly elections, which will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls and is likely to be fought on issues like unemployment, inflation, corruption, inequality, communal riots, law and order etc.
There are 147 assembly constituencies and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The poll body said voting will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4. As he addressed his last cabinet meeting during the day, Patnaik, who is also the president of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), said the people of the state are going to create a new record in the political history of the country in the upcoming assembly elections.
“In a few months, the people of Odisha are going to create a new record in the political history of this country. I always feel profoundly blessed and humbled by the intense faith of the people which also inspires me to work harder,” the Chief Minister said.
He is the second longest serving Chief Minister in the country’s history and if re-elected, would surpass former Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling’s record. The latter was in power for 24 years and 167 days – from December 12, 1994, to May 27, 2019.
Patnaik, on the other hand, has been at the helm of Odisha since March 5, 2000 and his term is scheduled to end on June 2, by which time he would have completed 24 years and 89 days in power. He will have to complete another 78 days to break the record.
“I always feel profoundly blessed and humbled by the intense faith of the people which also inspires me to work harder. The next 10 years will be decisive for Odisha’s future. We will herald an empowered Odisha – modern, dynamic and responsive, primarily for our youngsters,” he told the cabinet, according to a government statement.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJD bagged 112 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 23 seats, the Congress secured nine seats and the CPI(M) won one. An independent candidate also won the polls. In the Lok Sabha, the BJD won 12 seats, while the BJP secured eight and Congress managed one seat.
The key assembly seats are Hinjili, Sambalpur, Chandbali, Jajpur, and Jeypore while the important Lok Sabha constituencies Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Puri and Koraput.
Patnaik won the Hinjili assembly seat five times since 2000. Though Patnaik was elected from the seat in five Vidhan Sabha polls. In the last three polls held in 2009, 2014 and 2019, the BJD’s vote share was 76%, 73% and 66%, respectively.
People aware of the matter said the BJD’s focus on the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, which is currently represented by the BJP. The two parties have also locked their horns over Puri —the religious capital of Odisha and home to the famous Jagannath temple. In 2019, the BJP’s Sambit Patra lost to Pinaki Misra of the BJD by less than 12,000 votes.
The Lok Sabha elections would determine the fate of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been fielded from Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. He was last elected to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh in Odisha in 2004.
“India is the biggest democracy in the world. We welcome the EC’s announcement. This is an opportunity for the people to exercise their rights. The SCs, STs, women and all should participate in this biggest festival of democracy,” Pradhan said.
State Congress vice-president Shivananda Ray claimed his party is well-prepared for the elections. “This time, the battle will be intense. Congress will fight the polls with full vigor,” he said.
More than 33.2 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise this year. Of those, 16.8 million are male and 16.4 million female voters. On May 13, polling will be held for 28 assembly seats and four Lok Sabha constituencies. In the next phase on May 20, voting will be held for 35 assembly seats and five Lok Sabha constituencies. On May 25, voting for 42 assembly segments and six Lok Sabha seats will be held. The polling for the remaining 42 assembly seats and six Lok Sabha constituencies will be held on June 1.
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