Lok Sabha elections: One family, two politically different candidates

BHUBANESWAR: An interesting feature of this election is politically divided families. In other words, two candidates from the same family are contesting the election from two different political parties. At least five families, including the extended royal family of Balangir, have members contesting the elections on tickets from two political parties.

Sangeeta Singhdeo of BJP, a three-time MP from the Balangir Lok Sabha constituency, is seeking a re-election from the same seat. She will face her brother-in-law BJD's Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, son of BJD veteran A U Singhdeo, who has decided not to enter the fray this time. The brother-sister duo have locked horns in the past too twice in 2009 and 2014. Kalikesh won both the time. "It is nothing new. I have contested against her twice. Election is election and we fight on respective party ideologies. Nothing is personal," Kalikesh told TOI.

Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, a Rajya Sabha member, who has of late emerged as a key strategist in the Naveen Patnaik government, used to be a prominent face in Congress, which is now headed by his elder brother Niranjan Patnaik. With both brothers in two major parties, they have attracted a lot of attention. There is a buzz in BJD circles that Soumya may be asked to contest from an assembly segment in Bhubaneswar on a BJD ticket. Congress state unit chief Niranjan has set his eyes on two assembly constituencies, just as Naveen is contesting from two assembly seats. "If the party allows me to fight the election from two seats, I will take the plunge," he said. Niranjan is slated to try his luck from the Ghasipura and Bhandaripokhari assembly seats.

Old guard Damodar Rout, who was in the ruling BJD till recently, is now in the saffron party. But his son Sambit is in BJD. Damodar, who used to contest from Paradip, is set to fight from Balikuda-Ersama this time. It is believed that he vacated the Paradip seat for his son. He had made it clear that even if his son fights on a BJD ticket, it would be his independent decision. "He has every right to choose a party he likes and contest on his own merit," Damodar said.

Former CM Hemananda Biswal's two daughters-Sunita and Anita-represent two parties. While Anita is with the grand old party like her father, her elder sister Sunita recently joined BJD, which has fielded her from the Sundargarh LS seat. Anita is a Congress nominee for the Sundargarh assembly seat as well. BJD Rajya Sabha member Prasanta Nanda will see his son Rishab contesting on a BJP ticket.

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