Raghunandan the fighter

Surjit Kumar Dhal,Paradip, May 31: The new Minister for Information and Public Relations Raghunandan Das has been rewarded for his hard work throughout his political life.

Das is among the three MLAs from Jagatsinghpur Parliamentary constituency  – Nimapara MLA Samir Ranjan Dash, Balikuda-Erasama MLA Raghunandan Das and Kakatpur MLA Tusharkanti Behera– have been inducted into Naveen Patnaik’s new Council of Ministers.

All the three have been allotted important departments such as School & Mass Education, Water Resources, Information & Public Relations and Electronics & Information Technology, Sports & Youth Services.

Raghunandan Das is a grass root leader and has been elected from Balikuda-Erasama seat working really hard and braving a strong Modi wave.

Raghunandan was given a BJD ticket in 2000 Assembly election but was defeated by a margin 1219 votes against Congress candidate Umesh Swain.

During 2004 Assembly election, Das was an aspirant for BJD ticket from Balikuda seat but due to seat sharing arrangements with BJP the seat went to saffron party.

Then Das contested the election as an independent candidate with support of local BJD leaders and workers and garnered sizable votes. But he was later expelled from BJD for revolting against the party in 2004.

However, the expulsion was revoked before 2009 polls.

Das then aspired for party ticket to contest the newly formed Balikuda-Erasama Assembly segment, but lost his race to Prasanta Muduli who was picked by the party.

In 2014 Assembly polls, Das again tried to secure the ticket and lost to Muduli.

In protest Das contested the elections as an independent and polled 32,135 votes. He was subsequently suspended from the BJD party.

Das then joined BJP and began preparing for the 2019 elections.

His hopes for a ticket from BJP for Balikuda-Erasama Assembly segment for the 2919 polls were dashed when expelled BJD leader Damodar Rout joined BJP and managed a ticket for the segment.

But, Raghunandan approached his former party which was in search of a replacement of Muduli in the seat.

BJD gladly accepted Das and awarded party ticket for 2019 elections.

Raghunandan secured 1, 03, 814 votes– first time an Assembly candidate securing over one lakh votes in Jagatsinghpur—to trounce his Congress rival Lalatendu Mohapatra by a huge margin of 54, 583 votes.

The BJP candidate Damodar Rout was a distant third.

Supporters of Raghunandan were jubilant as he was administered the oath as a Minister in State.