The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : A 'royal' battle on the cards

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Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

A 'royal' battle on the cards

BHUBANESWAR

Orissa may be economically poor. But it has many things to flaunt — the Mahanadi, Lord Jagannath at Puri, the Konark Sun temple, the Chilka lake, Olive Ridley turtles, Nandini Satpathy, Nandita Das and its Maharajas. Forget that the State is yet to shine and continues to remain one of the most backward in the country; its maharajas don't let that get in their way, as they emerge from their palaces and mansions to contest the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in a big way.

The royals, for whom a feel-good factor has always existed in politics, are present in all the major parties fighting the elections. While the ruling Biju Janata Dal has as many as eight royals, the party's alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has four. The Congress too has four royals.

The scions of the families who once ruled a large number of princely States in different parts of present -day Orissa have been playing a major role in the State's politics for long. But their number has been growing in recent years with more and more women from these families opting for a shot at politics.

Ironically, Bolangir, one of the country's most backward districts, has as many as four royals from two families participating in the electoral battle.

The Bolangir Maharaja and State Steel and Mines Minister, Ananga Uday Singh Deo, is contesting the Assembly elections from the Bolangir segment, while his son, Kalikesh Singh Deo, is making his debut in politics from the neighbouring Saintala seat. The two are BJD nominees.

On the other hand, the Patnagarh Maharaja and State Industries Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, is fighting the Assembly election from the Patnagarh seat, while his wife and sitting Lok Sabha MP, Sangeeta Singh Deo, is seeking re-election from Bolangir. Both are with the BJP.

Apart from the father-son duo, the BJD has V. Sugyani Kumari Deo in Khallikote, Puspendra Singh Deo in Koksara, Pratap Kehsari Deb in Aul, Usha Devi in Chikiti, Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha in Padampur, and Rajnikant Singh in Angul. Mr. Rajnikant Singh is the son of Adwaitya Prasad Singh, chairman of the State Planning Board, who was a Minister in the Biju Patnaik Government as well as the Naveen Patnaik Government.

Apart from the Singh Deo couple in Bolangir and Patnagarh, the other royals in the BJP's candidate list are the sitting Lok Sabha MP, Bikram Kesari Deo, fighting from Kalahandi, and Kishore Chandra Singh Deo in the Sorada Assembly segment.

The Congress has also given the party ticket to a few royals such as the former Union Minister and sitting MP, K.P. Singh Deo in Dhenkanal; his son, Amarjyoti Singh Deo, in Gondia Assembly segment; Pratap Keshari Dev in Mohana; and K. K. Devi in Sorada.

Prafulla Das

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