Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Monday tasked seven senior Ministers and 18 MLAs with ensuring the party’s victory in the Patkura Assembly election. He also directed the MLAs to work under the supervision of the Ministers in specific areas of the constituency.

The Patkura seat is witnessing a fierce contest between the ruling BJD and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party despite the fact that the former’s support to the latter in the recently held Rajya Sabha bypoll had put leaders of both the parties in an awkward position.

Counting on July 23

Polling is scheduled to be held on July 20 and the counting of votes will be held on July 23.

Senior Odisha Ministers who were assigned the task of ensuring the BJD’s victory are Prafulla Mallick, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Sushant Kumar Singh, Samir Ranjan Dash, Raghunandan Das and Divya Shankar Mishra, the sources said.

‘Two sides of same coin’

With electioneering gaining momentum in the constituency where polling was postponed twice, the Congress, the third major contender for the seat, is now taking on its rivals terming them two sides of the same coin.

The BJP also has engaged many of its leaders in campaigning and making all-out efforts to bag the seat.

The BJD has fielded Sabitri Agarwal, wife of Bed Prakash Agarwal. Polling for the seat was first adjourned due to Mr. Agarwal’s death. Polling was postponed again due to Cyclone Fani.

The BJP has fielded former Minister and senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who had quit the party in November last year after a 10-year stint and returned again in March this year.

The Congress has fielded party old-timer Jayanta Kumar Mohanty.

An uphill task

In the changing scenario, Mr. Mohapatra, bête noire of the BJD president, is facing an uphill task. A founder member of the BJD, he has failed to get elected to the Assembly ever since he was ousted from the regional party days before the 2000 elections. And the BJD is trying hard to prevent him from winning yet again.

The BJD appears to be in a good position in Patkura since it comes under the coastal district of Kendrapara, its stronghold since long. And the ‘Modi wave’ that hit the State during the general election is also missing, making it further difficult for Mr. Mohapatra.

(With PTI inputs)