Bhubaneswar, April 22: Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat remains fiercely contested, with BJD aiming to retain its stronghold, BJP seeking a breakthrough, and Congress making a late bid for victory.
The decision to field a new face, Abinash Samal, by BJD in the 2024 election comes as a surprise move.
Dropping sitting MP Mahesh Sahu indicates the party’s strategic approach.
BJP’s Rudra Narayan Pany, a veteran who has fought three electoral battles from the constituency, aims to break the BJD stronghold.
However, Samal faces the challenge of retaining the seat, especially considering Pany’s increased vote share between 2014 and 2019.
Abinash Samal may rely on the political clout of his uncle Sudhir Kumar Samal, who is BJD’s candidate from the Dhenkanal Assembly seat.
BJD’s organizational superiority and the constituency’s historical support base could work in Samal’s favour.
Congress, represented by Sashmita Behera, entered the fray relatively late.
The overall political landscape, including the Modi wave, will play a crucial role in determining the outcome.
Seven Odisha Assembly seats fall under the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency: Dhenkanal, Parjang, Kamakhyanagar, Hindol, Angul, Talcher, and Pallahara.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJD candidate Mahesh Sahu secured victory with 522,884 votes.
The BJP candidate Rudra Narayan came second with 487,472 votes, while the Congress’s Kamakhya Prasad Singh stood third with 80,349 votes.
