The Congress has again wrested the Koraput Lok Sabha constituency from the BJD with political greenhorn Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka defeating BJD’s Kausalya Hikaka, wife of former MP Jhina Hikaka by a close margin of 3,613 votes.
BJP candidate Jayram Pangi had to settle for the third spot. Kausalya was confident of victory riding on Naveen Patnaik’s clean image and Jhina’s popularity in the district while Pangi was sure of a win owing to the Modi wave. However, Saptagiri proved political observers wrong by winning the seat.
Son of former Minister late Rama Chandra Ulaka, 40-year-old Saptagiri holds a BTech certificate in Computer Science and has worked in firms like Infosys and HCL. He got the Congress ticket at the last minute and contested election for the first time.
During his campaigning, he had sought votes in the name of his father who was a two-time MP from Koraput and a seven-time MLA from Rayagada.
The Koraput Lok Sabha constituency was a Congress bastion since Independence, but in 2009 and 2014, the BJD captured it. In 2014, the BJD fielded Jhina who defeated his Congress rival and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang.
Pangi, then of BJD, had snatched the seat from Gomango in 2009. He joined the BJP in 2017.
Political observers say internal bickering went against the BJD while the BJP failed to find a suitable leader to head it in the electoral battle.
Saptagiri said he would work for the development of his constituency with his experience during his stay at the USA. The primary focus would be on health and education and to make Jeypore a rural industrial hub, he said.
