Ahead of the nomination scrutiny process, Pradeep Panigrahy, the BJP candidate for the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, expressed concerns about potential scrutiny of his nomination papers. Panigrahy, a former BJD member, is challenging the ruling party in its stronghold. The Berhampur constituency lies within the home district of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, adding to the significance of the contest.
Bhrugu Baxipatra, the BJD candidate, faces the challenge of defending a seat that the party has held for three consecutive terms. Despite being new to the BJD, Baxipatra draws confidence from the party’s organizational strength and the support of Chief Minister Patnaik.
Berhampur, a significant trading center in southern Odisha, has historically been a Congress stronghold. However, the Congress has lost its dominance, making the upcoming contest a two-way battle.
Both candidates, Panigrahy and Baxipatra, have held key positions in their previous parties. Panigrahy was a three-time BJD MLA and former Higher Education Minister, while Baxipatra was the vice president of the State BJP.
Panigrahy believes his organizational expertise in Ganjam district, where he served as the former district president of the BJD, gives him an edge. He also cites Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity as an advantage for the BJP.
Baxipatra, on the other hand, highlights the BJD government’s welfare schemes and infrastructure development as factors that will secure his victory. He also emphasizes the strong support for Chief Minister Patnaik in the constituency.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Baxipatra, then a BJP candidate, lost to the BJD’s Chandra Sekhar Sahu by 94,844 votes. The Berhampur constituency will go to the polls on May 13.
