File picture of BJD supremo and party candidate from Hinjili Assembly seat Naveen Patnaik during a poll campaign

LOK SABHA

Balangir: The constituency has been witnessing tussle between the families of two scions of one royal family. BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo faces competition from his sister-in-law Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo of the BJP for the second time. Sangeeta had represented the seat as a BJP nominee for three terms between 1998 and 2004. But, that time the BJD and the BJP were poll partners. After the two parties parted ways shortly before 2009 general election, Sangeeta lost the seat to Kalikesh. Sangeeta is now hopeful of winning the seat because of the Modi factor. The Congress has fielded Sarat Patnaik, a former Lok Sabha member.

Balasore: This constituency has caught the attention of the state because the Congress' lone central minister Srikant Jena is seeking a second term from the seat. Jena, who had defeated former chief minister J.B. Patnaik and his wife Jayanti Patnaik from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat in the 90s as a Biju loyalist, faces a stiff contest from BJD's R.K. Jena and BJP's Pratap Chandra Sarangi. Jena, a bete noire of the old Congress guard, faces internal sabotage as the party's high command has been assigning him key roles in planning strategy to regain its lost base. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had visited the constituency the same day to canvass. Will Jena succeed this time? His performance has a direct bearing on the future course of Congress politics in the state.

Cuttack: Matinee idol Aparajita Mohanty is pitted against four times BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahatab, adopted son of the legendary Harekrushna Mahtab, in the prestigious Cuttack seat. Aparajita and her husband Uttam Mohanty — the most well-known pair on reel and in real life — had dominated the film industry for close to two decades. Their son Babushan, who has several hit films to his credit, is a rising star has a huge youth following in the state. Mahatab, a journalist-turned-politician, is known for his amiable behaviour. Pitted against the two is one of the BJP’s prominent face, Samir Dey, a former minister in the Naveen Patnaik government. Bureaucrat-turned-politician Kharabela Swain, known for his oratory and intellectual depth, is contesting on the symbol of the Ama Odisha Party. Swain is a former BJP MP from the Lok Sabha.

Koraput: Former chief minister Giridhar Gamang, 71, a nine-time MP, had tasted defeat in 2009 when BJD candidate Jayaram Pangi won the seat. Gamang had won the seat for eight consecutive terms between 1971 and 1998. In 1999, when he became chief minister, his wife won the seat in a bye-election. He faces tough competition from BJD nominee Jhina Hikaka, who made frontlines in 2012 when Maoists kidnapped him. Interestingly, Gamang’s wife has switched over to the BJD and she is contesting from one of the Assembly segments of the Koraput seat — Laxmipur — the seat that was represented by Hikaka.

ASSEMBLY

Balangir: The contest is between five-time MLA of this Assembly segment, former minister and royal family member Anang Udaya Singhdeo and veteran Congress leader Narasingha Mishra. A Doon school alumnus, Singh Deo is known for his proximity to Naveen Patnaik and this had won him the Rajya Sabha election last February. Before he could be sworn in as a member of the Upper House, the party leadership asked him to quit from the Rajya Sabha and seek re-election from the seat that he was representing in the outgoing Assembly. His constituency is one of the Assembly segments of his son Kalikesh’s Lok Sabha seat. Singh Deo’s desire to be in the Rajya Sabha remains unfulfilled. The BJP has pitted Basudev Pati. The ripple effects of Modi’s campaign in Balangir for Sangeeta could have an impact on the outcome of this Assembly seat.

Patnagarh: This has been a safe heaven for Balangir royal family member and BJP state president Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo since 1995 and he has been elected four times from here. However, this time, it would not be easy for him, as the BJD has fielded another royal family member, Prakriti Devi Singh Deo. But he is hopeful that the BJP magic at the Centre will help him again this time

Mahakalpada: BJP strongman Bijoy Mohapatra, a bete-noire of Naveen Patnaik, is making a desperate attempt to enter the Assembly from this constituency. Mohapatra, an associate of Biju Patnaik and a founder leader of the BJD, was instrumental in bringing Naveen to politics. However, the two fell apart and Mohapatra was shown the exit door. He has not been able to enter the Assembly since 2000. He faces former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. Naveen has worked overtime in the constituency to ensure that the BJP leader remained outside the legislative politics.

Rourkela: Former minister Sarada Prasad Nayak, who had fallen out of Naveen's favour for his proximity to BJD rebel Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, managed to secure a ticket this time. The contest this time is not going to be an easy one for him as he faces a formidable challenge from BJP candidate Dilip Ray. Former Union minister Ray is a close confidant of Bijoy Mohapatra and has pulled all his resources during the high-decibel campaign in the steel city. Ray, a hotelier, had represented the seat and was a minister in the Biju Patnaik government before he was shifted to national politics. The Congress has fielded former MLA Pravat Mohapatra.

Anandpur. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jaydev Jena is seeking election from this seat. With controversy surrounding his tenure as president of the state party unit and allegations of poll mismanagement by the Congress in the state, Jena faces a stiff battle on his home turf. A former minister, he has represented the seat four times. A powerful section of the Congress party is said to have campaigned against him to ensure that Jena is pushed out of active politics. His son, Sangram, who heads the party’s youth wing, is the Congress nominee for the Bhadrak Lok Sabha seat. The BJD has denied ticket to the sitting member and has fielded Mayadhar Jena, who had contested from BJP ticket last time.

Champua: In 2009, a Congress rebel had won the seat defeating party’s official nominee. However, Jitu Patnaik, the Independent MLA, joined BJD shortly before the election dates were announced. The ruling party denied Jitu the ticket and fielded popular Odia television and cine actor Tatwa Prakash Satpathy, popularly known as Papu Pom Pom. BJD rebel Kusa Apat, who had finished third in 2009, and Congress rebel Sanatan Mahakud are contesting as Independents. Last time, Jitu had won the seat by the lowest margin of 145

Hinjili :This constituency in Ganjam district remains in spotlight because chief minister Naveen Patnaik is contesting from here. Though chief minister is likely to have it easy with none of the competitors matching his charisma, it’s to be seen what will be his margin of victory. Naveen has been winning the seat since 2000.

Compiled by Sandip Bal