Kendrapara, Odisha: Lack of industry, unemployment and skilled manpower in Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Odisha, where Bharatiya Janata Party’s national vice president Baijayant Panda is contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Anshuman Mohanty, The main problem is migration.
The Kendrapara Assembly constituency has in the past sent some of the biggest names in politics to Parliament, including the late Biju Patnaik and former Congress president Ravi Ray.
This time, the battle is mainly between Panda and Mohanty, with Congress’ Sidharth Swarup Das also joining the fray. Elections for Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency will be held on June 1.
This coastal region is primarily agricultural, and the people rely primarily on agriculture for food.
The Naveen Patnaik government had approved ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel’s proposal to set up a mega steel company worth Rs 1,02,275 crore in December last year, but the district is not dominated by several political heavyweights in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Despite this, it still does not appear on the industrial map. Project in Mahakalpara block of Kendrapara district.
Emigration of skilled labor is a common factor as employment opportunities are very scarce here. The region’s skilled plumbers have a presence all over the world. Plumbers are popular for their workmanship and manual dexterity.
The exodus of plumbers overseas is a recurring phenomenon. Just like nurses in Kerala, plumbers in Kendrapara are highly sought after in the Gulf countries due to their professional approach to the job.
The region is home to the brown sea turtle habitat of Bhitarkanika National Park and Gahirmata Marine Sanctuary, as well as unexplored beaches, but is not yet tapped into ecotourism-related economies.
“I know for sure, no matter who wins, there will be no visible changes. Kendrapara will remain the same as before… Although the infrastructure has improved in the form of road infrastructure, river bridges and railways, There are no employment opportunities, young people here,” exasperated Subhash Chandra Mohanty, an elderly voter from Kendrapara town.
Panda, a businessman, was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara seat in 2009 and 2014 on a BJD ticket. He also served as BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP twice from 2000 to 2009. Panda was suspended from the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD for alleged anti-party activities ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and later resigned from the party as well. mackerel.
Panda lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to BJD’s Anubhav Mohanty by a margin of 1,81,483 votes.
Mohanty, a Congress defector and former MLA, had joined the BJD days before the polls.
Congress candidate Das is a newcomer to politics and has no experience in Vidhan Sabha or Lok Sabha elections.
Observers said the polls will be mainly contested between the BJP’s Panda and the BJD’s Mohanty. Mr Mohanty is the son of the late veteran politician Nalinikanta Mohanty, who was expelled from the BJD by CM Naveen Patnaik in 2000.
Aur, Mahakalpada, Rajnagar, Kendrapara, Patkura, Kithannagar and Mahanga Assembly wards constitute the Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency which extends across the Kendrapara district and some parts are in Cuttack district. Significantly, all assembly seats included in the 5th constituency were bagged by the BJD.
The constituency has 17,91,112 voters, including 42,181 first-time voters. There are 9,26,275 male voters and 8,64,837 female voters.
Biju Patnaik won the seat three times in a row – in 1977, 1980 and 1984.
Former Congress leader Ravi Ray won consecutive elections from Kendrapara in 1989 and 1991.
issued May 15, 2024, 07:15 IST
