Congress may lose more MLAs to BJD ahead of elections

BHUBANESWAR: With elections round the corner, the indication of Congress working president Naba Kishore Das to join the ruling BJD could not have come at a worse time for the opposition party that is struggling for revival in Odisha after it was dethroned in 2000.
As speculation about desertion of two more MLAs from Congress gathers pace, the opposition party is likely to experience a situation, similar to 2014 when leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh and Congress legislature party (CLP) secretary Anup Sai joined BJD.

Other turncoats, who had deserted Congress ahead of last general elections, included former chief minister Giridhar Gamang’s wife Hema (a former MP), former minister Ramakrushna Patnaik and his wife ex-MP Kumudini and senior leader Kamala Das.

Not only the 2014 assembly elections, the Congress also received a jolt in the run-up to Bijepur assembly bypoll in February 2018. Bijepur seat, which had been represented by Subal Sahu of Congress for three terms since 2004, went to the BJD during the February 2018 bypoll after his family joined the ruling party. Sahu’s wife Rita won the bypoll on a BJD ticket.

With 2019 elections nearing, the BJD is trying to poach some key Congress leaders from different pockets that continued to be Congress strongholds, sources said. History is likely to repeat itself after five years for Congress with Naba Kishore Das all set to join BJD within a fortnight. Names of Congress Salipur MLA Prakash Chandra Behera and Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Kumar Singh of quitting Congress are also doing the rounds for quite some time. A day after Das said he would consider his constituents opinions to join BJD, Behera praised BJD’s performance. “The ruling party (BJD) is in a safe position and is doing well,” said Behera, who had in June last year asserted that the BJD would again form the government in 2019.

Singh said, “I will consult my constituents, who elected me twice to the assembly from Sundargarh. If they advise me to change the party, I will consider”. Congress leader Krishna Sagaria, who recently quit as MLA, is likely to desert Congress as he has been challenging the party’s state leadership for past few weeks.

Contrary to perception that the faction-riddled Congress will revive under the leadership of Niranjan Patnaik, who took over the rein from Prasad Harichandan in April last year, imminent threat of desertion of some key leaders may push the opposition party onto the back foot.

Niranjan said the party is prepared to face any challenge. “We will not worry or be panicky if any leader leaves Congress. But I am sad to hear of Naba Kishore Das’s indication to quit the party. Those, who fail to cope with Congress ideology and look for commercial gains will leave the party,” Niranjan said.