‘Fight for Balangir won’t be difficult’

Your father has been the Balangir MLA for five consecutive terms. Last time he lost to Narasingha Mishra of Congress. How challenging is the fight for you?
I have been working in the field since 2013. The fight against Mishra is not a tough one. People see me as a promising youth leader. Also, the popularity of chief minister Naveen Patnaik will help me to a great extent.

You hail from a former royal family and your opponents have been making a strong pitch against the ‘royal’ tag. Does that bother you?

Not at all! Whether I belong to a royal family or not, how does it matter? People here are very much conscious. I want people to judge me on the basis of my individual capacity. I have been with them all these years.

Do you think there is royal family vote bank?

Yes, there is in some pockets. But unless you work for the people, you can’t expect to get votes.

What are your focus areas and promises to voters?

I have planned to set up call centres in the town. My other focus areas will be completing pending projects and bringing in small and medium industries.

Where do you think Balangir is lacking?

There are many issues that need to be addressed. Development of infrastructure, setting up of more healthcare institutions, scientific support for agriculture, checking migration and sanitation are urgent requirements.

Your father was in power for a long time, how do you view Balangir now?

With the growth in population, new problems have come up. People will gauge the development work undertaken by present legislator Mishra. My father was not MLA Balangir between 2014 and 2019. The BJD government led by chief minister Naveen Patnaik has a vision for the backward region.