PATKURA (KENDRAPARA), FEB 20: Kendrapara is one assembly constituency where candidates don't seem to matter too much. The election on February 22 will severely affect the political future of two heavyweights BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, and the man he expelled from the party recently, Bijay Mahapatra.For years, Kendrapara was the cradle of anti-Congress politics. This time round, the spotlight has moved away. Following his expulsion from the BJD on the eve of closure for filing of nominations to the Assembly elections, Mahapatra is backing Trinamool Congress candidate Trilochan Behera, whose fate political analysts say, may well decide Mahapatra's own.Naveen Patnaik also has a point or two to prove. He has staked his prestige on Patkura to prove that his charisma transcends barriers of constituencies and he is the inheritor of Biju Patnaik's legacy. This has left the greenhorn BJD candidate Atanu Sabyasachi as a mere pawn in the clash of the titans.However, Mahapatra is confident that his nominee willromp home. Naveen Patnaik will have no impact here, he told The Indian Express late on Friday. Mahapatra, who is campaigning on motorcycles to reach remote villages said though he could not reach every hamlet, ``the more people I reach, the more resounding will be the defeat of Naveen's nominee''.Mahapatra, with Behera by his side, categorically tells people that issues do not matter in this poll. ``The issue is Patkura's self respect,'' he tells villagers while urging them to vote for Behera. The expelled leader says the initial inconvenience because of the new symbol has been overcome and people are now acquainted with it. He believes he has the people by his side. A talk with voters in the constituency even Congress supporters seems to reflect that Mahapatra was wronged. Laxmidhar Behera of Talasangha said he would vote for Behera. Asked why, the 45-year old farmer said he was the only leader of any stature in Patkura now. Observers too believe that people's sympathy for Mahapatra will work inBehera's favour.However, BJD candidate Atanu is no pushover. His father Rajkishore Nayak, a two-time MLA, is known as ``Patkura Gandhi'' for his clean image. The son, therefore, is expected to garner the diehard anti-Congress votes. Besides, the division in the Congress is also likely to benefit him. The Congress in Patkura is now divided between candidate Umakant Nayak and Archana Nayak, with the latter not actively participating in campaigning. And Archana Nayak's supporters will do nothing to help Mahapatra, her main rival. Besides the Congress factor, the BJD candidate is pointing to Mahapatra's non-performance in the past 20 years and promising a new beginning. Atanu is reminding voters about the lack of roads and irrigation facilities. Lack of power in a majority of villages even four months after the cyclone has also come in handy for him. However, these points are unlikely to cut much ice with the electorate. ``Development or not, Mahapatra was the first leader who reached us after thecyclone,'' Pradip Panigrahi of Garadapur pointed out.
