The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is going all out to retain the Pipili Assembly seat in Odisha and checkmate the BJP’s plans of making inroads into the state’s coastal belt by registering its first victory from the constituency.
Pipili, around 20km from Bhubaneswar, is considered the stronghold of the BJD and a seat that has never been won by the BJP.
The seat fell vacant following the death of BJD stalwart and seven-time MLA Pradeep Maharathy.
The BJD has fielded his son Rudra Pratap Maharathy as its candidate in the by-election scheduled for April 17. The Assembly segment is a part of the Puri Lok Sabha constituency.
The BJD has deputed a number of MLAs and ministers to this sensitive Assembly constituency, which has already witnessed pre-poll violence.
A delegation of BJD leaders met Odisha chief electoral officer Sushil Kumar Lohani and lodged a complaint about the alleged attack on minister Sushant Singh’s vehicle on Sunday.
The incident took place when the minister had gone to meet some injured party workers at Delanga. Police have arrested two persons in connection with the attack. Central forces have been deployed in Pipili to bring the situation under control.
BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said: “BJP workers attacked minister Sushant Singh and smashed the front and rear windshield of his car on Sunday. Two BJD workers also suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment in hospital. Violence in politics and elections is nothing new for BJP.”
“In the Bijepur by-election in 2018 and in the general election in 2019, the party (BJP) had carried out a series of attacks. They are now using money and muscle power again. Cash worth Rs 50 lakh was recently seized from some BJP workers in Pipili. However, the people of Pipili will defeat the BJP and its agenda of violence,” he said.
As political temperature rose in the constituency, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday addressed the people of Pipili through the virtual mode and appealed to them to support his party candidate.
He also assured them that it was his responsibility to see overall development of the constituency. Naveen also recalled how the people of Pipili have always supported the BJD and his father Biju Patnaik.
BJP heavyweight and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan will campaign for the party candidate Ashrit Pattanayak on April 13.
The BJP on Monday accused the BJD of being involved in all sorts of nefarious activities.
“Free and fair elections seem a remote possibility in Pipili. BJP workers are being harassed and targeted. The ruling BJD is using the police force. The people of Pipili will vote for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas mantra of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.
“If BJP manages to win the seat, it will be able to gain a firm foothold in the coastal belt which is important for the party,” said senior journalist Ashutosh Mishra, adding that the BJP’s influence has been mainly confined to western Odisha.
In view of the sensitive nature of the bypoll in Pipili, the police have stepped up security measures.
“We are keeping a close eye on the law and order situation in Pipili. A total 80 booths have been identified as critical. Three companies of BSF, 15 platoons of Odisha police and one platoon of Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF) have been deployed in the constituency,” said director-general of police Abhay.
