Bhubaneswar, April 15: In the upcoming Jatani assembly election, the political landscape promises an intriguing battle between seasoned veteran and fresh faces.
A stalwart and strongman, Bibhuti Bhushan Balabantray, a former MLA of Jatni, is the BJD’s candidate this time. He has held the position of President in the BJD Khurdha District for the past two decades.
With a substantial following and a strong base in the Jatni segment, Bibhuti previously defeated Congress veteran Suresh Routray by a significant margin in the 2009 election.
However, in the 2019 election, he faced defeat at the hands of Suresh Routray.
The BJP has chosen Biswa Ranjan Badjena as its candidate for Jatni this time.
In the 2019 election, Biswa secured only 16 percent of the votes in Jatni.
Despite this, the BJP has placed its trust in him once again.
After much drama, Santosh Jena, a turncoat and relatively inexperienced politician, received the Congress ticket.
Santosh will be contesting the assembly election for the first time in his life.
He steps into the shoes of Suresh Routary, who, due to advanced age, decided not to run for re-election.
Given these dynamics, it appears that the scales are tipped in favor of BJD candidate Bibhuti Balabantray. Let’s closely observe the unfolding events in Jatni during this election.
