In our series, covering profiles of key constituencies across States and Union Territories during the Lok Sabha elections, today we bring a report on Sambalpur seat in Odisha. Starting from the 13th May, simultaneous voting will take place for 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in four phases. The constituency has seven Assembly segments where a total number of 14 lakh 78 thousand 369 voters will exercise their franchise. Sambalpur seems to be a very high profile seat from where Union Cabinet Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from BJP party and BJD’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das are contesting.
Akashvani Correspondent reports that the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha is gearing up for a high-profile contest after the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) fielded its organisational secretary and sitting Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das, against Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s face in Odisha. Analysts say both the contestants are equally crucial for their parties, so a high-profile election is on the card. The Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat is unique; no party can claim it as a stronghold. In the last three elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019, Sambalpur voted in favour of three parties: Congress, BJD and BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
The winning candidate’s vote margins were 9 to 30 thousand during these three elections against their nearest rivals. Before 2009, when the BJD and the BJP formed an alliance, Prasanna Acharya, a BJD candidate, won thrice from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat in 1998, 1999, and 2004.
The Congress has not yet declared its Lok Sabha candidate for the Sambalpur seat. In 2019, the BJD won four of the seven Assembly seats under the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat jurisdiction. The seat had witnessed a tough fight in the last Lok Sabha polls. The Sambalpur seat will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.
