Odisha News: Congress’s mission ‘9 to 90’ failed, but the party saved its reputation

BHUBANESWAR. Bhubaneswar: The Congress’ mission of ‘nine to 90’ may have failed miserably in the state, but the party has saved itself from complete ruin by winning or leading in 14 assembly seats and capturing the only Lok Sabha seat in Koraput. Amid the BJP’s victory, the massive lead of over 1.47 lakh set up by party candidate Saptagiri Ulaka came as a relief for the Congress. In a triangular contest in the Koraput Lok Sabha seat, Ulaka secured 4,71,393 votes against BJD’s Kaushalya Hikaka who got 3,23,649 votes and BJP’s Kaliram Majhi who got 2,32,514 votes.

In good news for the party, Sofia Firdous, daughter of former MLA Mohammed Mokim, won the Cuttack-Barabaati seat by defeating her nearest BJP rival Purna Chandra Mohapatra by a margin of 8,001 votes. The party appears to have retained its base, with senior leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati winning the Jeypore assembly seat against BJD’s Indira Nanda by a margin of 13,111 votes.

Congress candidates won eight seats in Gajapati,

Raigarh and Koraput districts. In Sankhemundi, sitting MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena defeated BJD’s Sulakshana Gitanjali Devi by 10,662 votes, while in Mohana, Dasarathi Gomango defeated BJP’s Prasanta Kumar Malik by 4,059 votes.

In Raigad district, party candidates Nilamadhab Hikaka and Kadraka Appala Swamy won from Bissam-Cuttack and Raigad seats respectively. Similarly, former MLA Ramchandra Kadam won the Pottangi seat, while new face Pabitra Saunta won the Lakshmipur seat. Party candidates Mangu Khila and Satyajit Gomango also won from Chitrakonda and Gunupur seats respectively. Besides, Sagar Charan Das, son of campaign committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das, won the Bhawanipatna seat. However, stalwarts like Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sharat Patnaik and campaign committee chairman Bhakta Charan Das lost to their BJD counterparts from Nuapada and Narla assembly constituencies. Former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik also lost to BJD’s Sanjeev Malik from Bhandaripokhari seat by a margin of 1,551 votes. However, the party’s vote share declined from 16.12 per cent in 2019 to 13.32 per cent in this election, even though more party candidates tasted success.