BJD may cast star Sidhant from Aska in 2019

When in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJD recently held a red carpet ‘premiere’ in Brahmapur, where ‘hand’ of former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Chandrasekhar Sahu with ‘conch’ was in frame, the road for actor MP Sidhant Mahapatra was clear.

Though a point of view was doing the round that the BJD goes for a retake of the Brahmapur constituency with a new protagonist to tide over the so-called anti-incumbency in 2019, the scripted big story, however, is the BJD pushes in neo-convert Sahu to launch the 2019 show in Brahmapur, so that the party could cast Mahapatra from nearby Lok Sabha constituency of Aska, which was once represented by leader like Biju Patnaik and later hosted Naveen Patnaik’s political debut.  Aska is important for the BJD because, Hinjli, CM’s constituency, also falls in the LS seat.

According to the revelation made by a senior BJD leader, who is part of the party’s ‘core electoral group’, Aska figured among over half-a-dozen LS seats where the BJD would go for new faces in 2019. “The party is considering pitting actor-politician Sidhant Mahapatra from Aska as the current popular MP Ladu Kishore Swain will be around 72-years by 2019. So, party would field a popular youth face from Aska in 2019 and Mahapatra could fit the bill,” he elaborated.

However, for political observers there is more than what meets the eye. Ladu Swain is not a pushover politician; the former Kabisurjya nagar MLA rather is very popular which is evident from his winning margin of over 3.1 lakh in 2014 vis –a-vis of 2.3lakh margin of BJD candidate and former veteran communist leader Nityananda Pradhan in 2009.

Significantly, it has been observed that the BJD since 2004 has nominated the Kabisurjya Nagar MLA for Aska LS seat, and interestingly, the current Kabisurjya Nagar MLA is V Sugyan Kumari Deo. Kabisurjya Nagar

is the second largest Assembly constituency under Aska LS. It seems in order to tide over the perceived disenchantment post dropping Swain, the BJD could field the matinee idol to water down the sentiments, feel observers.

Significant to mention here is Swain, an outspoken leader, had embarrassed the party over police-criminal-politician nexus in Ganjam district in 2015-16. Observers think the stand of the MP ruffled many BJD leaders’ feathers then to such an extent that some prominent BJD leaders then publicly counselled their own MP to submit any evidence if he has to the police.

Similarly, a buzz is gaining ground in the BJD circles that many BJD well-wishers from the tinsel town have recently approached a Kendrapada born veteran Ollywood actor to explore inducting into the BJD parivar. Sources reveal the party is looking to cast a star against the current Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda.

The BJD has started finalising new changes in around six to seven LS seats as it is readying to face the general elections if held even this winter.

The over half-a- dozen LS seats where the party is toying over for a makeover are Aska, Brahmapur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Koraput and Baragarh.