Bhubaneswar, Sept 8: Dozens of politicians, mainly from the triumphant Biju Janata Dal (BJD), are busy in lobbying for ticket to their heirs ahead of 2024 elections.
Leaders, who have crossed 60, are busy in making political ground for their son/daughter.
Around 30 MLAs of Odisha Assembly are symbol of nepotism of Odisha politics. Similarly, five political scions are representing Lok Sabha from Odisha.
Apart from winning candidates, over 20 political scions unsuccessfully contested the 2019 elections and around 50 scions are in fray aspiring to contest 2024 elections.
The race began in 2009 after five scions of politicians, four from the BJD and one from the Congress, emerged victorious defeating strong rivals.
Priti Ranjan Ghedei, son of former finance minister Prafulla Ghedei, Chandra Sarathi Behera, son of late former excise minister Kalindi Behera, and Bobby Das, son of deceased leader Ashok Das, won defeating strong rivals in their assembly elections. All of them were fighting on the BJD ticket.
In the Lok Sabha elections too two sons – Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo (BJD) and Pradeep Majhi (Congress) - won the race in 2009.
Former Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Patnaik's son Pruthvi Ballav Patnaik is all set to contest from Begunia Assembly constituency in Khardha on Congress ticket.
Similarly, Lalatendu Bidyadhar (Lulu) Mohapatra's daughter Upasana Mohapatra is also preparing herself to contest from Brahmagiri seat.
Manmath Routray, son of Congress legislator Suresh Routray has confirmed behin his political career from Jatani constituency, most probably on BJD ticket.
Besides, BJD MLAs – Prafulla Samal, Badri Narayan Patra, Ananta Das, Nityananda Sahoo are lobbying for party ticket to their family members.
Sabitri Agrawal won the Patkura seat after demise of her husband Bed Prakash Agarwal. Now she is lobbying for her son. Similarly, BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra's son Arabinda Mohapatra is all set to contest 2024 election.
Other leaders who are lobbying ticket for their scions include Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, minister Rajendra Dholakia, Amar Prashad Satapathy, Ananta Das, Opposition leader in Odisha Assembly, Jayanarayan Mishra, Congress leader Narasingha Mishra, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja, former OPCC president Jayadev Jena, veteran Congress leader Bhakta Das, Ananta Sethi and a few to name.
