Thursday, April 23, 2009

Morada: Campaign got a royal flavour

Expressbuzz, April 23, 2009

BARIPADA: Kalahandi maharani Padma Manjari Devi hitting the campaign trail with rajmata of Mayurbhanj Bharati Rajluxmi Bhanj Deo (Praveen Bhanj Deo’s mother) and Mayurbhanj maharani Rashmi Rajluxmi Bhanj Deo (Praveen’s wife) has taken the campaigning in Morada (unreserved) Assembly constituency to a new high. Maharaja Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo (50), scion of the Bhanja royal family of Mayurbhanj, is fighting the election as a BJD nominee.

Rajmata’s visit to far-flung villages of Morada along with maharani of Mayurbhanj and Kalahandi has generated a lot of curiosity among the people of Morada, particularly among women who are according warm receptions to the royal family members. Praveen said if he wins, he will implement mainly two things. First he will try to implement the ‘merger agreement’ that his grandfather, late Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo, last ruler of the Bhanja dynasty, signed at the time of merger of the erstwhile princely state of Mayurbhanj with the Indian Union on first day of January, 1949. The merger agreement, among other things, included a promise for continuation of the facilities for the people of Mayurbhanj that they enjoyed during the royal regime after the merger of Mayurbhanj with Orissa, Praveen added.

Praveen’s agenda no.2 is to implement the hydropower generation scheme by tapping the Barheipani waterfall, investigation for which was completed by a British electric company under the initiative of the Bhanja rulers. He has other progressive ideas, but he is locked in a close contest with BJP heavyweight and party general secretary Rajkishore Das, and JMM heavyweight Bimal Lochan Das.

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