Brothers face each other in Chikiti; all set to make election interesting

Chikiti Assembly constituency in Odisha's Ganjam district is all set to witness a contest between two brothers in the forthcoming elections to be held on May 13.

The brothers facing each other in the electoral battlefield are sons of former Odisha Assembly Speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantaray.

While the opposition BJP has fielded younger brother Manoranjan Dyan Samantaray, his elder brother Ravindanath Dyan Samantaray has been picked up by the Congress. The Congress and BJP declared their candidatures on Tuesday.

Their father Chintamani Dyan Samantaray, a senior Congress leader, was elected three times from Chikiti - twice as an independent (1980 and 1995) and once on a Congress ticket (1985).

While junior Samantaray unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections twice - on Congress ticket (2014) and BJP ticket (2019), his elder brother is contesting for the first time.

The Biju Janata Dal has fielded Chinmayananda Srirup Deb, son of the state's Urban Development minister Usha Devi as its candidate from the Chikiti assembly seat, as Usha Devi was reluctant to contest this time due to her age-old problem. Usha Devi had been elected from the seat five times.

"I have been active in Congress since my father’s period. As a result, I got a ticket from the party to contest. It will be a contest between two ideologies and not between two brothers," said Ravindranath.

Manoranjan claimed that he was very active in politics for the last several years and got the BJP ticket to contest the election.

"Some vested interests might have instigated my brother to contest in Congress ticket to create disturbance in the family. However, it would have no impact on my poll prospects," he said.

Chintamani Dyan Samantray said due to his ill health, he might not campaign.

The 84-year-old veteran leader, however, said he was a Congressman and opposed the policies of the BJP.

"My younger son's decision to contest on BJP ticket was his own decision. In democracy, we cannot impose our decision on anyone," he added.

Nabarangpur district in southern Odisha will witness a fight between an aunt and her nephew in the Odisha Assembly election to be held on May 13.

Kausalya Pradhan, the aunt has been fielded by BJD from the Nabarangpur Assembly seat while her nephew Dilip is the Congress candidate for the same constituency.

"This is a fight of two parties and not exactly between aunt and nephew," said Dilip.

Kausalya said the elections will have no impact on their family relationship.

Family members contesting against each other in elections is not new in Indian politics, said J K Baral, a retired professor of Political Science at Berhampur University.

"In the past, we have seen several such instances. Not surprised that two brothers are challenging each other in the same constituency," Baral said.

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