Prafulla Das

When Assembly elections were held in Orissa in 2000, leaders who helped their family members and relatives contest polls faced criticism from various quarters. Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik had made it a poll issue to counter veteran Congress leader J.B. Patnaik, whose relatives were in the fray.

The scenario, however, has changed drastically. Now, scores of candidates belonging to particular families are contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls as nominees of the major parties — the Congress, the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
A record The former Chief Minister, Giridhar Gamang, has created a record of sorts this time. While he is the Congress nominee for the Koraput Lok Sabha seat, his wife Hema Gamang and son Shishir Gamang are contesting the Assembly polls as candidates from Laxmipur and Gunupur.

The Congress may not have given tickets to J.B. Patnaik and his wife Jayanti Patnaik this time. But Mr. Patnaik’s son-in-law Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and his son-in-law’s brother Niranjan Patnaik are fighting the Assembly polls.

Leader of the Opposition Ramachandra Ulaka and his brother Dambarudhar Ulaka are also seeking election to the Assembly as Congress nominees.

Other family nominees in the Congress are Ranjib Biswal, former Lok Sabha MP and son of late Deputy Chief Minister Basanta Kumar Biswal and his brother Chiranjib Biswal, both contesting Assembly seats.
The BJD president has no one from his own family in the fray. But the party has fielded as many as three father-son combinations as candidates.
Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai is contesting the Sukinda Assembly seat, while his son Priti Rajan Ghadai is party nominee in neighbouring Korei. The former Excise Minister, Kalindi Charan Behera, and his son Chandra Sarathi Behera are fighting the Assembly poll from Cuttack Sadar and Salepur respectively.
And Ananga Udaya Singh Deo, son of the former Chief Minister late Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, and his son Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, who belonged to the erstwhile royal family of Bolangir, are also in the fray.
The BJP too is out to promote family rule in the State. While Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo is seeking re-election from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat, her husband Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo is seeking re-election to the Assembly from Patnagarh. They also belong to the erstwhile royal family of Bolangir.

The party has also fielded a mother-son duo. Shanti Devi, a member of erstwhile royal family of Dharakot and wife of former Lok Sabha MP late Ananta Narayan Singh Deo, has been fielded from Aska Lok Sabha seat. Her son Kishore Chandra Singh Deo is contesting the Sanakhemundi Assembly seat.
Senior party leader Biswabhusan Harichandan and his brother Bibhuti Bhushan Harichandan are also seeking re-election from Bhubaneswar and Chilika Assembly seats respectively.