JAJPUR, February 27: It is a fight to the finish between the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Janata Dal (JD) in this Lok Sabha constituency. The honour of one of the heavyweights of Orissa politics, state JD president Ashok Das is at stake here.Considered to be one of the strongholds of the Janata Dal, five Janata Dal MLAs had won out of the seven segments of the constituency in the March, 1995 assembly elections. But the split in the Janata Dal has now turned comrades to bitter foes. Jajpur is Das' hometown and he represents the Korei constituency in the State assembly. It is clear from the desperation in the Janata Dal camp that the party's base is crumbling here. Kalpataru Das, the BJD MLA from Dharmasala, once a protege of Ashok Das, has now turned his bitter critic. Ashok Das is sparing no efforts to ensure the BJD candidate's defeat.
The bitter fight in the constituency between the JD and BJD has ensured one thing. The Congress is at an advantangeous position by default.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
