A fish, an LED TV: Odisha panchayat election candidates take around real-life poll symbols during campaigns

A social worker, who was instrumental in facilitating development works in the Zila Parishad area, Bhotra feels as the sarpanch she can serve the public more effectively.

“Since we cannot conduct roadshows or gather a large number of people together, a door-to-door campaign feels very interpersonal. I did not want to roam around with big banners and posters. So, every morning I get the best fish from the market and start my campaign. This way the people will even remember me and my symbol and I can expect a good number of votes,” Bhotra said.

Comprising 21 villages, Patri panchayat has 6,633 voters and four candidates running for the sarpanch post.

Nearly 100 km from Nabarangpur, Sashmita Khera, an Independent candidate, contesting the Zone-2 Zilla Parishad elections in Koraput has been campaigning door-to-door with an LED Television set in hand.

“A TV is a sought-after electronic item in every household. Voters across all generations can relate to it. This is why I chose the symbol and to register it even better with the candidates I decided to campaign around carrying a TV set rather than just asking for votes and sharing pamphlets,” Khera said. Formerly with the BJD and the Congress, Khera decided to contest as an Independent candidate after the parties failed to field her.

“I always came up with important issues from the ground which must be addressed by any elected representative. But despite all the hard work I put in, no party gave me the desired push to serve the people as an elected leader. So, I decided to contest as an Independent,” Khera said.

In Sundargarh district, a law graduate from Jhiripani panchayat, Ram Tirkey, is seeking votes carrying a lantern in his hand. “A lantern is a physical evidence of darkness that continues to prevail due to the hollow promises of candidates in every election and also a symbol of lack of basic facilities even after so many years of independence,” Tirkey said.

Jhiripani, a remote gram panchayat of Sundargarh, continues to reel under darkness due to lack of proper electrification.

Towards the eastern part of the state in Kendrapara district, a candidate visits every house with a Bhagwat Gita in hand. Anjana Behera, a nurse by profession, has an open book as her election symbol. “What book can be better than the Gita? I carry it along so that I do not make fake promises to the people like other leaders. I cannot promise houses to everyone but I can promise that their grievances and demands for better housing will reach the authorities concerned via me,” Behera said.

In the adjoining coastal district of Balasore, a sarpanch nominee who is also an ayurvedic doctor, is giving free consultations and checking blood pressures as he campaigns seeking votes.

Dr Nagendra Kumar, a sarpanch candidate from Nabra gram panchayat under Basta block of Balasore district carries a stethoscope, a medicine kit and a blood pressure measuring machine as he visits every household.

“Good health and improved healthcare are the need of the hour. And my idea is to deliver both,” Dr Kumar said. He had been elected twice as the sarpanch from Nabra but had unsuccessfully contested the Zilla Parishad elections in the last rural polls held in 2017.

The three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha are scheduled to be held in five phases from February 16 to 24. For the upcoming polls, nearly one third of the total candidates have won uncontested.

As many as 36,523 seats were won uncontested out of the total 91,890 wards, and 126 seats for the post of sarpanch were won out of the total 6,793 seats. Besides, 326 candidates of the total 6,793 panchayat samiti posts have been elected uncontested.