The faster the 2024 general election is coming, the wider the fissures in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are getting. The ongoing poster wars that recently ensued between the BJD leaders bear witness to it.
In Jharsuguda, a stiff poster war has reportedly started between MLA Dipali Das and Brajarajnagar MLA Alaka Mohanty. Despite being the legislator of Brajarajnagar, Mohanty’s posters have dotted the cityscape.
The same picture has emerged in Soro Assembly Constituency in Balasore district. Here, Soro MLA Parshuram Dhada and aspiring candidate Shibani Shankar Ray are seen locking horns with each other. A poster war is seen between them.
“Soro MLA is an anti-people MLA. So, he shouldn’t be given more leadership. It was our effort to send out a message to the top leaders of the party,” said a BJD leader, Ashok Kumar Nayak.
When asked, Soro block’s former chairman Sarat Raj said, “The MLA is the leader of the constituency. So he didn’t allow those with whom he is not on good terms.”
The situation in Jeypore Assembly Constituency is no different either. While senior leader Rabi Nanda is in the arena, aspiring candidates have started a poster war.
“I was an aspirant in 2014 and 2019. As this time around women's reservation is being emphasised, I hope to get a ticket,” said Bindurani Mishra, an aspiring candidate, Jeypore Assembly Constituency.
Another picture of utter dissidence in the party has emerged from Balasore district where BJD district unit vice president Ashok Kumar Nayak was seen administering oaths to party workers to ensure defeat of Soro MLA Parshuram Dhada.
Apart from this, the disgruntled section also took out a parallel rally in the constituency. While the legislator was not seen in the rally, it was taken out under the leadership of the district vice president and former block chairman Sarat Raj.
In Bhubaneswar, MLA and district president Sushant Rout took out a rally in the Bhubaneswar North Assembly constituency while ticket aspirant and former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra also organised a parallel padayatra and ‘bandhu milan’ to show strength.
Similarly, in Bargarh Sushant Singh and Minister and Bijepur MLA Rita Sahu are also at loggerheads. They are so much against each other that in a recent padayatra by Minister Sahu, Sushant Singh and his followers were conspicuous by their absence.
At the same time, Minister Sahu too didn’t attend the Nuakhai Bhetghat organised by Sushant Singh and his followers.
However, Minister Sahu refuted the allegation of infighting in the party. “I have faith in my people and in the Chief Minister. So I feel I am safe,” said Minister Sahu.