Kendrapada’s former BJD MP Archana Nayak once again rejoined BJP recently in the presence of BJP State president Manmohan Samal and MP Aparajita Sarangi.

According to Ganesh Samal, a political analyst, Archana, who was in wilderness for the last two simultaneous General Elections, seemed to be active this time, possibly because she has made up her mind to contest the poll.

Earlier, she had contested from Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat in the 12th parliamentary elections as a Congress candidate and had been defeated by BJD leader Pravat Samantray. She had also been defeated from Patakura Assembly seat as a Congress candidate in 1995. Archana had opposed BJD from the beginning of her political career.

But she joined the BJD in 2004 and got a ticket for contesting the Kendrapada Parliamentary seat, after the Congress denied her one. She won in the 14th Parliamentary election and became the MP of Kendrapada.

In 2009, she wanted to field her candidature from the newly formed Mahakalapada Assembly constituency which is her home turf. But all her dreams were shattered, when the Patkura BJD MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, managed to create a base for himself for contesting from Mahakalapada. Archana also wished to contest from Kendrapada LS seat on BJD ticket, but she was disappointed.

When she came to know that she would not get a BJD ticket for contesting either from Mahakalapada or from Kendrapada LS seat, Archana resigned from BJD and joined BJP. She contested for Bhubaneswar MP seat on BJP ticket in 2009 but was defeated. Later, she remained inactive in 2014 and 2019 elections.

According to political analyst Devi Parida, if Archana contests on BJP ticket for Mahakalapada Assembly seat against Atanu, she could win as the sitting MLA’s popularity is on the wane.