BJD heavyweights skip polls, campaign for their children

Bhubaneswar: Four BJD heavyweights stayed out of the electoral battle to pave way for their sons but they continue to be in the scenario by leading the campaign for their children.
Chit fund accused Choudwar-Cuttack MLA Pravat Biswal and Banki legislator Prabhat Tripathy opted out of the poll battle because cases are pending against them.

The party has given tickets to Biswal’s son Souvic and Tripathy’s offspring Debi Ranjan in their respective bastions.

Talking to TOI, the Banki MLA said he has been actively looking after the organisational works while his son continues with the public-connect exercise by travelling to different villages.

“Our formal campaign will start from Tuesday. I will definitely campaign for my son and take part in political rallies,” said Tripathy.

CBI arrested the Banki legislator in October 2014 for his alleged involvement in the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam related to Artha Tatwa company. He was granted bail by the Orissa high court in March 2015.

The Choudwar MLA accompanied his son Souvic from filing nomination papers to meeting people in the constituency. Biswal was arrested by the CBI in September 2017 and granted bail in June 2018.

“My father has executed many development works in our constituency for which people here have give him so much love. Even though I am a newbie in politics, I will try to resolve all issues of the constituency with his advice,” said Souvic.

One more BJD veteran, who had decided not to fight the forthcoming assembly poll, is six-time legislator Bijayshree Routray, who also holds the crucial forest and environment portfolio in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet.

Routray, who has been successively representing the Basudevpur assembly seat under Bhadrak parliamentary constituency since 1990, has opted out of the polls because of old age. The ruling party fielded his son Bishnubrata in his place.

Routray has been preparing the ground for his son since the past one year. He regularly met local leaders and actively participated in his son’s campaign, said a close associate of Bijayshree.

Though not in the fray, Balangir royal A U Singh Deo is actively campaigning for both his sons — Kalikesh and Arkesh. While Kalikesh is seeking a third-term from Balangir Lok Sabha seat, Arkesh is debuting from Balangir assembly segment.

Congress veteran and former chief minister Hemananda Biswal is campaigning for his younger daughter Amita, who is the Congress candidate from Sundargarh assembly segment.

Biswal is campaigning even though his elder daughter Sunita is fighting from Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat on a BJD ticket. “My blessings are with both my daughters but since I am a Congressman, I am campaigning for my younger daughter,” said Biswal.