Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, at a press conference in New Delhi.
The great Indian captain who defended the goal posts like this throughout his career is not quitting just yet. During his second meeting with the ex-Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on his home ground, Dilip Tirkey demonstrated unyielding determination against a strong enemy.
This might be the only Lok Sabha constituency in India where Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are fighting each other exclusively and it has caught the eyes of political pundits across India. Both parties have put up candidates who have shot into prominence at national level from tribal-dominated Sundargarh district of Odisha.
Ace hockey player
All that said, Tirkey is much more than the present state president Hockey India. He became India’s first ever player to make 400 international appearances and was also its first ever tribal captain. And after all he was one of those reliable guards who had defended for quite long time most effectively on behalf of India.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey during a Press Conference in Chennai
After losing narrowly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he is taking on this year’s electoral challenge head-on at Sundargarh – popularly known as “the cradle of hockey” in Odisha. That might seem strange to many but it’s actually what Mr.Tirkey sees as an opportunity to edge out his opponents. He didn’t contest lok sabha election in 2019.
Lifestyle
It will probably not be incorrect to say that there are more hockey players from Sundargarh district representing men’s and women’s national teams than any other single district.. For people living in Sundargarh, hockey isn’t just a game; it’s life itself. Children there do not see field hockey only as some sort of sport but rather believe that it is the best choice for their future. No other player from both Sundargarh and Odisha can match Mr.Tirkey’s popularity in terms of the game. The BJD had nominated Mr. Tirkey to Rajya Sabha after he retired in 2012.His campaign is focussing on Naveen Patnaik-led Government’s massive sports infrastructural development. One of the locations for the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup was also Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium,
Rourkela, which came up within almost no time and has got considered as the largest stadium for this kind of sport. Prior to World Cup, Rourkela city underwent a transformation that residents could not believe about thereby arousing excitement and pride among hockey lovers from Sundargarh.
He is pitted against Jual Oram who was appointed India’s first Minister of Tribal Affairs when the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was divided in 1999. Mr.Oram, who has represented Odisha five times since 1998 in Lok Sabha, is senior most BJP MP from his state as well as a tribal face of saffron brigade for innumerable years across India at large. State BJP has been headed by him too.
Straight shooter
Mr.Oram is always known to be straight forward and he faces a tough rival this time round especially after polling more than two lakhs votes during his victory over Tirkey in 2019. To retain his title once again the veteran BJP leader heavily relies on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mass appeal within Sundargarh electorate.
Among seven Assembly constituencies that fall under Sundargarh, three are currently occupied by BJP representatives — Biramitrapur, Talsara, and Sundargarh. The contest has also become interesting after the entry of Dilip Ray who is a famous restaurateur as well as a politician since Biju Patnaik days. A reprieve was granted to Mr. Ray who earlier this year was convicted in the coal block allocation irregularity by a Delhi court that allowed him to contest the election held in Odisha later on.
The veteran leader’s candidature from Rourkela segment on a BJP ticket has given Mr. Oram confidence to face Mr. Tirkey.
Anticipated community support
For starters, tribals account for nearly 50% of the district’s total population, while BJP leader is Oran belonging to over 25% amongst them.
According to some senior BJD leaders, popularly known as “Christians,” Mr. Tirkey will get his own ethnic group backing him.
There are more than 18% Christians in Sundargarh.
Beyond that, membership in BJD comprises solid cadre strength would back up the former hockey captain.
Congress has nominated Janardhan Dehury as its candidate for MP post. Unfortunately, all these efforts have not translated into any meaningful votes at the grassroots if I may put it like that because local politicians appear not used whatever momentum carried by Rahul Gandhi through this region when he went on his Bharat Jodo Yatra a few weeks ago”
Momentum generated by Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra visit to this region seems not to have been galvanized by local political leaders into useful votes at grassroots level.”
