Tough battle likely in Dhamnagar

Bhubaneswar: Less than two years before the 2024 general elections, Dhamnagar assembly constituency is set to witness a tough and direct battle between the BJD and BJP in the bypoll scheduled on November 3.
In the last five general elections from 2000 to 2019, the BJD and BJP have won twice each while an independent candidate emerged victorious from the Dhamnagar seat once. Manas Ranjan Mallik had won the seat as an independent candidate in 2000. Manmohan Samal (BJP) won in 2004, Rajendra Kumar Das (BJD) in 2009, Muktikanta Mandal (BJD) in 2014 and Bishnu Charan Sethi (BJP) bagged Dhamnagar in 2019. The by-election has been necessitated owing to the recent death of Sethi.
Though the parties are yet to announce their candidates, experts said it is difficult to predict the outcome of the by-election as both the BJD and BJP have strong bases in the constituency.
Unlike many seats where the BJD has been winning several times in a row, Dhamnagar may pose a tough challenge for the ruling party. Dhamnagar voters wanted changes between 2000 and 2019 and gave chance to both the BJD and BJP. “Though the BJD won Dhamnagar consecutively in 2009 and 2014, it is not going to be an easy affair for them this time as the BJP had won in 2004 (during BJD-BJP alliance) and 2019,” senior political analyst Rabi Das said.
Das said BJP also faces a tough challenge as the BJD has won all the five by-elections (Bijepur, Balasore Sadar, Tirtol, Pipili and Brajarajnagar) held after the 2019 elections. Balasore Sadar seat was wrested by the BJD from the BJP during the by-poll in November 2020.
Going by the traditional practice adopted by most parties to induct kin of deceased MLAs in byelections, the BJP is planning to field Suraj Suryabanshi, son of deceased MLA Sethi, from Dhamnagar. “It will be a proud moment for me if I get a chance to serve the people of our constituency and fulfil my father’s dreams,” Suryabanshi told TOI.
BJD and Congress said they have started the process of selecting their nominee and would announce their names soon. Talks are doing the rounds that the BJD may play a master stroke and poach Suryabanshi.
The BJD inducted Rita Sahu into their fold in 2017 after the death of her husband Subal Sahu, who was Congress sitting MLA in Bijepur. Rita won the seat on a BJD ticket.
BJD sources said the people of Dhamnagar would bless the party because of CM Naveen Patnaik’s welfare measures. “BJD is well prepared for the by-poll,” BJD’s Bhadrak district observer Pranab Balabantaray said. CEO Sushil Lohani said web casting would be conducted at 50% of the total 252 booths.