Deepening fissures weakening BJD, creating confusion among workers 

As many as eight BJD-supported sarpanchs and 13 Samiti members recently joined Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sahoo’s camp. If that is any indication, it appears BJD is getting weaker with each passing day, thanks to the infighting in the party.

While the change in the government happened just two months ago, the fissure in BJD is only expanding. The situation has come to such a pass that eight Sarpanchs and 13 Samiti members, who were associated with the BJD and close aides of former MLA Pranab Balabantaray over the last 24 years, snapped ties with the conch party and joined Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sahoo’s camp.

“The seed of dividing the party was planted among the prominent leaders like Pranab Prakash Das, Sanjay Das Burma and Arun Kumar Sahoo. The disturbance in the party started from there,” said Krushnachandra Rout, former vice president, Jajpur BJD. 

The situation in Cuttack BJD camp is no different. After the party’s drubbing in the general elections, two sections of the BJD have been blaming each other.

“Some days ago, some BJD corporators alleged that the youth and student leaders had done nothing in the election. Can they prove their allegations? The fact is that they hadn’t coordinated with the youth leaders in chalking out strategies,” alleged Sidhharth Ray, working president, Cuttack District BCJD. 

Also Read: Best technologies to be used to end Ratna Bhandar secret chamber enigma: Justice Biswanath Rath

Responding to Ray’s allegations, BJD Corporator of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Bikash Behera said, “Some youth leaders were indulged in uploading some unacceptable posts on social media. We had visited Naveen Niwas to complain against them. We did our jobs sincerely.”

The same situation has also emerged in Paradip BJD. That BJD town president Basant Biswal was not invited to the party’s first meeting held in Paradip after the debacle indicates the intensifying internal feud. 

“The president should have organised this. When he delayed, the working president stepped in. I can’t say why he didn’t come to the meeting,” said Sambit Routray, former Paradip MLA. 

When contacted Paradip Town president, Basant Biswal said, “They didn’t hold ‘Bandhu Milan’. They are trying to break the friendship and do more harm to the party. What they organised was not a ‘Bandhu Milan’. It was organised to secure their position and their business.”
In such a situation, BJD MLA of Balikuda-Erasama, Sarada Jena came forward to defend his party. 

“Everything is fine in the party. BJD is functioning on the basis of discipline. There is no infighting in any constituency,” said Jena.