(Below) BJD candidate prasanna patasani and (above) a view of a Bhubaneswar street. picture by sanjib mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, April 16: Hoardings and billboards displayed by the ruling party across the city lack photographs of BJD’s Lok Sabha candidate Prasanna Patasani. Similar is the case in party posters as well.

The 68-year-old saffron-clad Patasani, popularly known as “chicken baba”, is seeking fifth term from Bhubaneswar. A known figure on Odia television channel, one may watch him sitting next to BJD president Naveen Patnaik or performing havans at innocuous shrines in the city.

He said: “There is no need to waste money on leaflets and billboards. Rather I will be happy to spend money on my workers, who are sweltering in the heat and campaigning for the party.”

“We often watch him on television sitting next to Naveen babu. But, we have never seen him moving in the area seeking for votes,” said Tuku Das, 56, a businessman of Indradhanu Market.

“The MLAs are campaigning for me. If any one is having any problem, I join him in his campaign. People in my constituency know me and are aware of my achievements. On several occasions, I have campaigned with our leader Naveen babu,” said Patasani, who is confident of winning the seat for the fifth time.

“There is no Modi wave, the Congress has no credibility and is not to be counted in the race. Mark my words, the BJD under the leadership of Naveen babu will sweep the polls both in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” he told The Telegraph.

However, a senior BJD leader said: “Baba knows that for Naveen babu, it’s a prestigious seat. He is sparing no efforts to retain it. The vote is for the conch symbol and not for him. Naturally, Baba does not want to waste either money or energy.”

Patasani, a poet, shot into limelight in 1985, when he won a by-election as an Independent candidate by defeating economist Baidyanath Mishra from the Khurda Assembly. The then chief minister, J.B. Patnaik of the Congress, had won two Assembly seats in the general elections. At that time, Patasani, who had won the seat in 1980 from Khurda, was denied the ticket. After Patnaik resigned from the seat, Patasani fought as an Independent and was backed by Biju Patnaik. Since then, he has never looked back.

A widely travelled person, Patasani is a recipient of many literary awards.

A staunch Naveen loyalist, Patasani had fallen out of his leader’s grace for hobnobbing with the expelled Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. But, being a true politician, he managed to be back in Naveen’s charmed circle in a few days. He secured the party ticket at the last minute. Like his other Lok Sabha colleagues, be it industrialist-turned-politician Baijayant Panda in Kendrapara or Bhartruhari Mahatab in Cuttack, he is banking on his party’s populist development works. All the seven Assembly segments in his constituency are with the BJD.

Baba lives near Khandagiri in a modest ashram like many others, who have renounced active life. His palatial bungalow in the heart of the city has been razed to the ground. So is the board outside his residence claiming that the property is a gift from the electorate of Khurda (Bhubaneswar). “A shopping mall and a residential complex is coming up here at Nayapalli,” said a construction worker at the site.

Known for his theatrical behaviour and antics, Patasani has three children, including a daughter. His wife lives with the children. While the elder son is working in a private company, the youngest one is in business. The daughter is married and well settled.

Patasani’s allergy towards mobile phones is well known. He has never missed an opportunity to say that the use of mobile phones could cause cancer and lead to loss of virility. He remains inaccessible to his workers.

“They know me. I don’t use mobile phones. They come to me to seek guidance,” said Patasani.

While Baba is invisible, his rival from the BJP, Prithviraj Harchandan, who is the son of BJP veteran Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, sparing no efforts to reach out to the electorate. “I want to reach the door steps of all the electorate. I am aware that it’s impossible. I am doing my best.”

His father was a legislator from one of the Assembly segments of the city between 2000 and 2009. Besides, cine star Bijoy Mohanty of the Congress, there are six others in the fray.