Heavy polling in border areas raises BJP hopes

BHUBANESWAR: Heavy polling in the by-poll to the Umerkote Assembly constituency has raised the hope of a BJP victory even as the BJD asserted that it will retain the seat.Though the final polling figures are yet to be known, preliminary reports indicate that it will be more than 70 per cent. What has raised expectations in the BJP camp is reports about more than 80 per cent polling in some pockets bordering Chhattisgarh.The high-voltage campaign had given rise to the impression that it was a fight between ruling parties of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. As many as 13 ministers, more than 30 MLAs, MPs and senior leaders had campaigned from the BJD side for party candidate Subas Gond.The BJP was not far behind in resources. Several ministers, MLAs and senior leaders from neighbouring Chhattisgarh campaigned in the adjacent areas for  party candidate Dharmu Gond. Besides, a large number of State leaders, including BJP president Jual Oram, former president Suresh Pujari and vice-president Ashok Sahu camped in the constituency.The voting trend has made the BJP camp hopeful of a victory. “The heavy polling will go in our favour,” party spokesman Ashok Sahu said.Revenue Minister Surjya Narayan Patro, however, asserted that the BJD will retain the seat. He said  heavy polling in areas adjacent to Chhattisgarh in Raighar block will go in favour of the BJD.The BJD camp is not worried over the heavy polling witnessed in the bypoll. In the 2009 Assembly polls, the turnout was 70.17 per cent. The BJD candidate, Jagabandhu Majhi, had defeated BJP candidate Dharmu Gond by more than 14,000 votes while Congress candidate Parama Pujari was relegated to third position.Though not overtly optimistic, the Congress still expects a victory for its candidate Jeetendra Gond. Support for the Congress candidate was uniform in all pockets of the constituency, Nabarangpur MP Pradip Majhi said.Majhi said in nine Naxalite-affected gram panchayats, the contest is between the Congress and BJP candidates, while in panchayats, where the Dalit Samaj wields influence, the fight is between BJD and Congress. He claimed that the Congress candidate will get maximum votes from Bengali settlers.There were no disruptive activities by the Maoists during the polling. Observers maintained that they may have supported one of the Opposition candidates, though it was not open. This development may also go against the prospects of the BJD candidate.