Baijayant Panda campaigns in Kendrapara. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, April 15: Industrialist-turned-politician Baijayant Panda, known for his chopper-hopping campaign in the Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency during the 2009 general election, is banking heavily on BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s charisma and performance of his state government this time.

To Panda’s advantage is history as the constituency has never returned a Congress candidate to the Lok Sabha barring the first general election. Panda, who had trounced Congress nominee cricketer Ranjib Biswal by a margin of 1.27 lakh in 2009, is weighed down by the unfulfilled promises made during the last elections. Pitted against him are eminent criminal lawyer Dharanidhar Nayak and Bishnu Das of the BJP.

Panda’s non-performance has become a point of debate across the constituency. “He has done nothing during the last five years. The chopper-hopping was nothing but a brazen show of wealth. We have seen him flying helicopter. He never assessed the ground-reality. The constituency continues to be a backward area. There are no industries and no railway infrastructure in Kendrapara”, remarked a voter from Indupur village, Artatrana Mohanty.

“He sold dreams of bringing industries to Kendrapara. But nothing has come of yet,” rued another voter.

But there are many who differ. “Panda is an active parliamentarian and participates in debates and raised issues relating to Kendrapara,” said Rajat Mandal, a voter from Mahakalpada.

Congress nominee Nayak exudes confidence of winning the seat. “No doubt, in the past the people have rejected the Congress. The trend will be reversed this time. I have found people displeased with Panda’s poor performance. He had talked tall, but did not deliver. Voters are inclined towards the congress party now,” Nayak claimed.

Nayak hails from the constituency and his supporters are sparing no efforts to whip of “son of the soil” emotions against Panda.

Veteran Congress leader Nityananda Kanungo had won the first general election from the seat in 1952. Considered to be the bastion of anti-Congress ranks, veteran leaders like legendary Biju Patnaik, Socialist stalwarts Surendra Nath Dwivedy and Rabi Ray (former Lok Sabha Speaker) and Srikant Jena (then in Janata Dal) are among those who had represented the seat.

Biju Patnaik had even represented Rajnagar, one of the Assembly segments, after he had left the Congress to float his Utkal Congress in the early 70s.

The BJP has a limited support base in the constituency and is banking on the Narendra Modi factor. It has fielded Bishnu Das, a relatively new face who has been with the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).

In one of the seven Assembly segments, Bijay Mohapatra, one of the trusted lieutnants of Biju Patnaik and a recent entrant to the BJP, is contesting.

BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate Das said: “The youth want Modi to become the Prime Minister. Major share of votes from the young generation will be n favour of the BJP. We are confident of registering a victory”. In the last elections, its Lok Sabha nominee, who is now contesting from one of the Assembly segments, had polled 80,000 odd votes.

In the seven Assembly segments that form the Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat, the battle is tough for the BJD. In Mahanga, the contest has become a triangular one with BJD rebel Sharada Pradhan becoming a factor. Former education minister Pratap Jena faces veteran Congress leader Seikh Matlub Ali.

In Salipur, Prakash Behera of the congress), who had lost the seat last time by a narrow margin, is facing BJD newcomer Prasant Behera.

The sitting MLA of Salipur, son of veteran BJD leader Kalindi Behera, has been shifted to his father’s Cuttack Sadar seat and Behera senior has been denied the ticket.

Kalindi hails from this area and is said to be happy with the decision of the party.

In Kendrapara, former minister and veteran Congress leader Ganeswar Behera is pitted against BJD’s Kishore Chandra Tarai. In Patkura, BJD stalwart Bed Prakash Agarwalla is seeking renomination. The Congress has fielded Jayant Mohanty. In Rajnagar, the Congress has fielded Anshuman, son of late Nalinikanta Mohanty who had represented the seat between 1977 and 2009 and was an associate of Biju Patnaik as well as Naveen Patnaki. Mohanty faces BJD’s Dhruba Charan Sahu. The food minister Pratap Keshari Deb, a scion of local royal family, faces Congress’s Debendra Sharma in Aul.