Cong choice: Pradeep Majhi

Bhubaneswar, April 1: The BJP is trying to win back its Nabarangpur stronghold from the Congress. The Lok Sabha seat with seven Assembly segments is going to the polls on April 10.

The BJD is equally determined to win the Lok Sabha seat for the first time. The party has four sitting MLAs in the region. Three seats belong to the Congress.

The BJP has fielded two-time MP Parsuram Majhi from this seat, while the Congress has reposed its faith in the sitting MP Pradeep Majhi. The BJD, which is banking on Naveen’s popularity, has fielded a new face, engineer Balabhadra Majhi.

Campaigning has picked up with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and BJD president Naveen Patnaik visiting the area and trying to win the confidence of tribal people. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is also expected to campaign here, though no dates have yet been finalised.

In 1999, the BJP had snatched the Lok Sabha seat from the Congress and kept it for a decade before losing it to the Congress once again in 2009. The Congress had sent Khagapati Pradhan from this seat nine times till 1999.

Parsuram Majhi was elected in 1999 and 2004. But he lost to Pradeep Majhi in 2009 Assembly polls.

Parsuram said: “Local people will vote for the BJP as the Modi wave has reached the area. Besides, the existing MP Pradeep Majhi failed to carry out any developments in the past five years.”

Pradeep said: “Local people have always been associated with the Congress. I have raised many issues, including police atrocities on tribal people.”

Pradeep said the party workers and local people were upbeat following Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Naveen, too, had addressed a series of meetings during his two-day visit to Nabarangpur and Koraput. In all his meetings, Naveen targeted the Centre. Balabhadra said: “Naveen’s popularity is at its peak. The people will vote for the BJD.”