Koraput (Odisha), Apr 4 (PTI) The announcement of Congress social gathering’s candidates for Koraput and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seats highlighted the absence of outstanding political households, together with these of former Odisha chief minister Giridhar Gamang and ex-Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi.
    In the event that they decide to not run as impartial candidates, it could be the primary time in over 5 a long time that these influential households will not be within the electoral competitors on this tribal-dominated district.
    Gamang (81), who served because the chief minister of Odisha from February to December 1999, had represented the Koraput Lok Sabha 9 instances between 1972 and 2004 earlier than dealing with defeats to the BJD in 2009 and 2014.
    Regardless of his spouse, Hema Gamang, additionally having represented the Koraput Lok Sabha seat in 1999, the panorama modified when the Gamang household switched allegiance from Congress to BJP in 2015, later aligning with Bharat Rashtra Samithi earlier than returning to the grand outdated social gathering in January.
    Though Gamang’s son Sisir sought the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat, and Hema utilized for the Gunupur meeting constituency underneath Koraput Lok Sabha seat, the denial of tickets to Gamang members of the family by Congress sidelines them from the electoral course of, doubtlessly for the primary time since 1972.
    In accordance with political observers, the Gamang household’s debacle in electoral politics began in 2009 when Gamang misplaced the Koraput LS seat on a Congress ticket to his rival BJD’s Jayaram Pangi.
    In the identical yr his spouse Hema misplaced the meeting polls from Gunupur meeting seat.
    In 2014, Gamang was once more defeated by BJD’s Jhina Hikaka from Koraput LS seat and his spouse, who had converted to BJD from Congress and contested the 2014 meeting ballot from Laxmipur misplaced the election, regardless of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s wave sweeping throughout the state.
    Equally, Pangi who had entered the state meeting at age 25 by profitable the Pottangi meeting constituency underneath Koraput Lok Sabha seat in 1977 as a Janata Social gathering candidate was denied a Congress ticket regardless of his latest entry to the social gathering.
    Pangi, who had joined the BJP in 2017 earlier than briefly affiliating with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, expressed shock over ticket choice, indicating a possible grievance in opposition to the choice.
    In response to the exclusions, Sisir expressed dismay, hinting at a doable problem to the choice.
    “We’re shocked over the ticket distribution and can put our grievance earlier than the suitable authority,” stated Sisir.
    Replying as to whether he would file as an impartial candidate, Sisir stated, “Nothing has been determined. There may be time. Let’s see what occurs.”
