Democracy, they say, begins where feudalism ends. But political parties
in Odisha, the poorest state in the country, obviously have other ideas.
At least 13 scions of ‘royal’ families have been fielded by various
political parties for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state this time.
Curiously, as many as 10 out of the 13 have been nominated by the
ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), a party that has never tired of
tom-tomming its ‘pro-people’ and ‘pro-poor’ credentials. While seven of
them have been fielded in Assembly elections, three have been nominated
for Lok Sabha polls, ironically from constituencies that comprise some
of the poorest regions in the state: Kalahandi, Bolangir and Kandhamal.