Cong misses chance to revive

BARGARH:While only a few hours remain for the results of Bijepur by-poll to be declared, the Congress seems to be on the back-foot after senior leader Niranjan Patnaik candidly admitted that despite roping in a good candidate, the party is likely to lose due to unpreparedness, lack of money and proper campaigning.
It was believed that the by-poll would witness a triangular contest after Pranaya Sahu was nominated as the Congress candidate. However, as the campaign progressed, it turned into a direct fight between BJD and BJP while Congress lost steam and was out of the race.

At the outset, it was advantage Congress as Subal Sahu, whose death necessitated the by-election, had won from Bijepur three times in a row on its party ticket. The by-poll was an opportunity for the Congress to regain its lost ground in western Odisha and rejuvenate its rank and file ahead of 2019 general elections. However, the State Congress allowed the opportunity to slip and even failed miserably during campaigning.

The contest was loaded heavily in favour of Congress as Pranaya belongs to the dominant Kulta community which forms a major chunk of the electorate. Moreover, he was the first candidate from Gaiselet block after 1977. There was every possibility of Kulta community and Gaiselet block throwing weight behind Pranaya to help Congress win the by-election.But the Congress leadership, both at the Centre and the State, failed Pranaya. While AICC made inordinate delay in declaring Pranaya’s candidature, the State unit failed to provide him financial support against the high-voltage campaign of  BJD and BJP.

When the campaign of BJD and BJP was picking up pace, not a single Congress banner could be seen in Bijepur. Though some Congress leaders arrived for campaigning, it was mere lip service and was marred by personal differences. Jharsuguda Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das, who could have made a difference in the campaign, did not turn up even for a day.Midway through the campaign, the Congress lost the plot and missed out on the opportunity.