Bhubaneswar, April 17: The Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha is indeed a high-profile seat, drawing attention due to the contest between prominent candidates.
A five-time MP, Jual Oram represents the BJP in this election.
On the other hand, former captain of the Indian hockey team and current Hockey India president, Dilip Tirkey, is contesting as BJD nominee.
The Congress party has fielded Janardan Dehury as its candidate.
BJP gained prominence on this seat starting in 1998, with Jual Oram winning consecutively until 2004.
In 2009, Congress’s Hemanand Biswal defeated Oram, but by a narrow margin of just over 11,000 votes.
In 2014, Oram faced tough competition, winning by only 18,829 votes against BJD’s Dilip Kumar Tirkey, a renowned hockey player.
In the 2019 election, Jual Oram secured victory with 500,056 votes, while BJD’s Sunita Biswal came second with 276,991 votes.
With the BJP witnessing a nationwide surge due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, it is believed that the tribal-dominated Sundargarh constituency would remain with the saffron party.
However, BJD maintains that the party will reclaim the seat this time. Dilip Tirkey’s popularity in the area and the establishment of a world-class hockey stadium are factors said to be working in the ruling party’s favor
Congress has changed its candidate, fielding Janardan Dehury, a former MLA of Bonai and president of the Sundargarh district Congress Committee.
It is believed that the depletion of the Congress party’s organization may hinder its chances in this election.
The Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency remains a closely watched battleground, with Jual Oram, Dilip Tirkey, and Janardan Dehury vying for victory in the upcoming election
