BJD Heavyweight Sudhir Samal's Nephew Abhinash Samal Fielded In Dhenkanal (image-Facebook/Abinash Samal)Nephew of sitting MLA from Dhenkanal and BJD member Sudhir “Nidhi” Samal, Abhinash Samal has been nominated from the same Lok Sabha constituency by the party. Although a novice in politics, Samal’s familial connections could sway the voters in his favor, as the two-time MLA is considered a heavyweight in the region.
The 36-year-old completed his schooling in Angul and then pursued an MBBS in Radiology from Bhubaneshwar’s Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital. He completed his post-graduation at the Maharajah Institute of Medical Sciences in Andhra Pradesh. After returning to Odisha, he spent the last seven years managing his family business.
Standing against the first-time candidate is senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Rudra Narayan Pani. In the 2109 elections, BJD’s Mahesh Sahoo defeated Pani with a margin of 35,412 votes, wherein Sahoo secured 5.2 lakh votes. Congress candidate and former union minister KP Singhdeo came in third by winning a mere seven percent of votes.
Notably, Pani has failed to secure the Dhenkanal seat three times over the past decades. According to reports, Samal needs to wield the political clout of his uncle Nidhi, who will also be contesting the assembly elections from the Dhenkanal Sadar seat under the BJD flag.
Additionally, the BJD has maintained its stronghold over the constituency since 2004. Its candidate, Tathagata Satpathy, has been elected four times from the Lok Sabha seat: in 1998, 2004, 2009, and 2014.
Odisha’s Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency comprises Vidhan Sabhas including Dhenkanal, Hindol (SC reserved), Kamakhyanagar, Parjanga, Pallahara, Talcher, and Angul. All the assembly segments are under the BJD. There is an SC population of 19.26 percent, an ST population of 13.82 percent, and 1.4 percent Muslims, as per the 2011 census.