Ray, Nayak fighting for 4th term MLA in Rourkela

Rourkela : Rourkela Assembly is going to witness a contest between two heavyweight candidates – former Union minister Dilip Ray of the BJP and State Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak of the BJD.

Dilip Ray is a former Union and State minister and three-time MLA from Rourkela, while Nayak, sitting MLA and State minister, is seeking his fourth term in the constituency.

Though the Congress has announced Birendranath Pattnaik as its candidate, the seat is likely to witness a straight fight between Ray and Nayak. Now the talk in the city is ‘who would make the record by winning the fourth term as Rourkela MLA.’ Both Ray and Nayak are three-time MLAs of Rourkela.

After his name was announced by the BJP, Dilip Ray said, “The people of Rourkela have a special bond with me and the BJP. I feel that the BJP will form the government in the State.” Ray, who was close to former chief minister Biju Patnaik, had won from Rourkela in 1985, 1990 and 2014 Assembly elections. He lost to Prabhat Mohapatra of the Congress in 1995.

Nayak emerged victorious from the constituency in 2004, 2009 and 2019 polls, but was defeated by Dilip Ray in 2014.

Following the Delhi High Court’s stay order on Dilip Ray’s conviction, the BJP has fielded him from the Rourkela Assembly segment under Sundargarh parliamentary constituency. Ray was earlier sentenced to undergo three years imprisonment in connection with a coal scam case.

In 2018, Dilip Ray, along with Bijoy Mohapatra, had resigned from the BJP. Ray had then cited delay in second Brahmani bridge and upgradation of Ispat General Hospital (IGH) to a Medical College and Super Specialty Hospital. Arriving in Rourkela on April 10, Dilip Ray said, “he is still in the party” as his resignation is not yet accepted.