Padampur by-poll: 3 major parties work on caste lines

Bargarh, Nov 29: For the first time Odisha is going to witness voting on the caste line in the Padampur by-poll as all three major political parties are working on massive caste mobilization to woo voters. Members of Kulta Samaj, Yadav Samaj, Gond tribe, and Binjhal tribe are holding meetings frequently to take decisions on their community votes ahead of the by-poll scheduled to be held on December 5. Around 2,000 members of the Gond community had gathered at the foothill of Gandhamardan under the banner of the ruling BJD to discuss the by-poll. As Gond voters in Padampur, Paikmal, and Jharbandh blocks count 20,000 to 22,000, their votes would be crucial in deciding poll result, said a political onlooker Kshirod Dash. The ruling BJD has fielded Barsha Singh Bariha, daughter of the departed Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, who belonged to the Binjhal tribe that counts 15 percent voting population of the constituency. Prior to candidate selection, a section of the Binjhal tribe had met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging him to nominate a member of the Bariha family for contesting the by-poll. A delegation of the farming community Kulta Samaj had met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar recently amid the poll campaign. Patnaik has pleased them by assuring to fulfill their demand for one acre of land and financial assistance for building a Dharmasala (pilgrim facility center) at Puri. Similarly, another community Meher Samaj from Bargarh district too met Patnaik assuring him to back the BJD candidate. Out of 2,59,324 voters of the Padampur constituency, 43,135 voters belong to the scheduled caste and 79,249 to the scheduled tribe. The number of tribal voters is higher in Paikmal and Jharbandh blocks than in Padampur. Bariha aka Binjhal tribe counts 15 percent of scheduled caste voters of the constituency. Similarly, the farming community Kulta Samaj counts 15 percent votes. On the other hand, Sahu (Teli-business community) shares 14 percent of voters, the Meher community 5 percent, Yadav 5 percent, Patel 4.5 percent, and higher castes share 6 percent. BJD candidate Barsha Singh Bariha belongs to the scheduled tribe, Congress candidate Satya Bhusan Sahu hails from the business community (Teli), and BJP candidate Pradip Purohit is a Brahmin. Yadav community state president Raju Ghibela has recently joined BJD quitting BJP. Besides, retired administrator Mahendra Badhei of the Kulta community has joined the ruling party officially.