Polls divide families as fathers, sons take different political routes in Odisha
Congress leaders Suresh Routray and Chintamani Dyan Samantaray, and BJP's Bijoy Mohapatra are contesting elections from parties not linked to their fathers.
Senior Congress leader and Jatani MLA Suresh Routray has been issued a show cause notice by the disciplinary committee of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) for allegedly campaigning for his son Manmath Routray, who is a ruling BJD candidate from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat.
Routray (80), a six-time MLA from Congress, who announced not to contest the elections this time, was found campaigning for his son Manmath in different parks in the state capital.
«I have not told anyone to vote for my son, but when people are asking me if they should cast their votes for my son, I am telling them yes,» Suresh said.
«Yes, I have told people to vote for my son because they ask me what to do. If AICC or the PCC wants to punish me, I will accept it. But I will be a Congressman till my death,» Routray said.
He further claimed that he is a man of principles.
For former Odisha Assembly Speaker and veteran Congress leader from Ganjam district, Chintamani Dyan Samantray, the situation is a little bit difficult.
His sons are in the fray, one from the Congress and another from the BJP.
He is in a fix as he does not know whom to vote for since his sons are the main contestants.
While the opposition BJP has fielded his younger son Manoranjan Dyan Samantaray, his elder son Ravindanath Dyan Samantaray has been fielded by the Congress.
Chintamani Dyan Samantaray, a
