Turncoats are making hay in Odisha. Almost all of them have landed tickets for Lok Sabha or Assembly elections after switching their loyalties.
The latest to be rewarded is former vice-president of the state BJP unit Bhrugu Baxipatra, who was made ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s candidate for the prestigious Berhampur Lok Sabha seat within hours of joining the party. Baxipatra joined the party at 12.30 on Wednesday.
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced Baxipatra's candidature while releasing the names of candidates for the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats. Similarly, Surendra Singh Bhoi, former minister and senior Congress leader from western Odisha, who joined the BJD on March 29, was given the ticket from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat.
Earlier, the BJD had rewarded Anshuman Mohanty, the former MLA and president of Kendrapara district Congress unit. He has been pitted against BJP’s stalwart Baijayant Jay Panda from the Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat.
Baxipatra, was quite upset after being denied tickets by the saffron party to contest the election this time. Earlier, on BJP tickets he had contested the Assembly election from Jeypore and Berhampur Lok Sabha seats but failed to register a win. However, with the BJD ticket, Baxipatra hopes to register a win in the election this time.
The BJP has also rewarded the turncoats. Among them, the prominent figures are six-time MP from Cuttack Bhartruhari Mahtab and former minister Pradeep Panigrahy. While Mahtab has been fielded as the saffron party’s candidate from Cuttack, Panigrahy is the choice for the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.
