A street corner meeting being held at ward No.16 for the Kendrapara municipality polls.Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Nov. 9: Family ties, which were firm and rock solid only the other day, are now not so, thanks to the November 15 municipality polls in this part of the state.

As the poll campaign gets heated up, it has brought sharp divide in a number of well-knit families with candidates locked in battle against their own flesh and blood.

The contest is intriguing in some of the urban wards. Family ties got severed following contest between own relatives, said political analysts.

While the saas-bahu (mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law) fight is on in one place, nephews are locked in electoral battle in other wards going to the polls.

The poll scene continues to evoke considerable curiosity and excitement in ward No. 21 where the mother-in-law is pitted against her daughter-in-law.

Lodhi Tudu, a Congress nominee, is fighting against her mother-in-law, Bahali Tudu, who is backed by the BJD in the ward reserved for the Scheduled Tribes women.

“It is one of the developed urban localities. The parties in the fray had a tough time to find out a suitable candidate as the Scheduled Tribe population in the ward is limited. Finally, the major parties have opted to pick up candidates from a single family. This is bound to create fissure in the family,” said Rasananda Rout, a betel shop owner.

Cracks have emerged in the relationship. After a party office was set on fire yesterday, the Congress candidate lodged an FIR against the BJD nominee, who happens to be her mother-in-law.

The ward No. 16 is witnessing another fascinating poll battle with nephews locked in contest.

The Congress has fielded Rashmi Ranjan Behera while the BJD has picked up Dinabandhu Behera as party’s contestant from ward No. 16. Both of the contestants are nephews in relation.

Scenario is also interesting in ward No. 6, reserved for the Scheduled Caste women with the principal contenders being sisters-in-law.

Mamata Sethy (Congress) is locked in a battle with her BJD opponent Chandini Sethy. Both the sisters-in-law are drawing curious crowd as they step out for poll campaign.

“We are a confused lot. I have not decided whether to vote for sisters-in-law or the other candidate in the fray,” said Ratnakar Sethy, a voter.

“There is nothing wrong in relatives fighting against each other. Everybody has his own political freedom and affiliation. The battle is being fought on political front. Some differences have cropped up in our joint family. But, it will be sorted out after the polls,” said Dinabandhu Behera, a Congress nominee locked in fight against his nephew.

“We have chosen nominees, who have popular base in their respective wards. It is coincidental that some of the nominees are close relatives and contesting the polls for the rival parties,” said Gourhari Pati, the BJD’s district wing vice-president.