Bhubaneswar : Minister for food suppliers, consumer welfare and higher education Atanu Savyasachi Nayak is fighting one of the toughest battles of his political career in Mahakalapada assembly constituency this time. Falling within politically sensitive Kendrapara district, this constituency is among the most prestigious in the state as Nayak happens to be close to chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
In the 2019 Odisha assembly elections he had won the Mahakalapada seat, polling 93197 votes. The BJP candidate Bijay Pradhan was the runner up with 77534 votes. However, this time the situation seems to have changed completely with BJP fielding Durga Prasanna Nayak who is giving Atanu, a journalist-turned-politician the run for his money.
The popularity of the minister is at an all-time low as he has been unable to solve the myriad problems of the constituency which is criss-crossed by rivers and creeks. Irrigation facilities are practically absent in the area with the sole canal dug from Marshaghai to Jambu lying unused. It has turned into the favourite abode of reptiles of all kinds but farmers cannot draw any benefit from it.
The minister’s name has also been dragged in RTI activist Ranjan Das murder case which has become a blot on his name, taking a heavy toll on his image. There are several other complaints against him including his inability to check corruption with his own men minting money. “Percentage” is said to play an important role in getting official work done at all levels.
While BJD workers are unhappy with the minister for making promises which he has hardly ever kept, the general public is unhappy with the way things are moving in the constituency. Schools in Jambhu, Batighar and other areas of the constituency have become practically defunct.
Mahakalpada has also been notorious as the haven of Bangladeshi infiltrators. They have settled in different parts of the constituency for a long time with the help of politicians who have been treating them as vote-banks. Currently the party being blamed most for encouraging infiltration is the BJD. No wonder the minister is taking the flak on this account.
People in areas like Jambu face a plethora of problems including lack of civic amenities. These have remained unaddressed for the last several years and the cumulative anger of the people may blow the minister away this time. Both common people and BJD workers are unhappy with the increasingly haughty attitude of Atanu who has been cut-off from the constituency spending most of his time in Bhubaneswar.
In sharp contrast the BJP has been gaining ground in Mahakalpada with its candidate raising people’s issues. He is being seen as sincere and also capable of resolving the problems if he wins the polls. Another factor helping him in this contest is the growing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has emerged as the darling of the people. They not only want to see him as the Prime Minister of the country for the third time but would also like his party to form a government in the state.
The common talk in the constituency is that BJP should get a chance this time as it is the only party which can be trusted to tackle the myriad problems of the state and places like Mahakalapada efficiently. Since the BJP has been campaigning for an end to the infiltration problem for the last several decades it is being seen as the only party capable of addressing the issue.
With people’s anger rising against him Atanu seems to be getting both anxious and edgy. His desperation is being reflected in his behaviour which is winning him more enemies than friends. The minister, in all likelihood, will face his Waterloo in Mahakalapada this time.
