Bhubaneswar: The Congress has stirred up the political scene in Bhubaneswar after fielding Yasir Nawaz for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat and expelling Purukha politician Suresh Routray.
During the 2019 elections, the absence of Congress candidates in the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha polls played to the advantage of BJD, because the votes going to Congress went to BJD.
Now BJD has nominated Manmath Routray for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat. However, Congress may fail the plan of BJD after expelling Suresh Routray.
Not only that, BJD may lose minority votes from Congress as Yasir Nawaz has gained support within the community, especially in Jatni. The combined number of Muslim voters in Jatni and Jayadeva is around 30 thousand.
Nawaz has expressed his confidence in the potential of the Congress by expressing public dissatisfaction with BJD over corruption charges. On the other hand, Manmath Rautray is optimistic about the prospects of BJD, citing continued support for Naveen Patnaik.
Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha candidate Aparajita Shadangi is also confident by supporting the people’s enthusiasm. Especially since former Congress candidate Pradeep Sahu joined the BJD and the entry of Prithvi Ballabh Patnaik, son of former Chief Minister Janki Ballabh Patnaik, could further change the polling dynamics.
BJD is facing internal challenges in Ekmar and Bhubaneswar assembly constituencies as well, while the group led by Amaresh Jena and Biranchi Mahasupakar has created internal strife.
According to political analysts, due to the new presence of the Congress, there will be a significant change in the voting pattern, predicting that the BJD will not get the same support from the Congress voters as in the previous elections.
