If the 'axed' ex-Labour minister of Odisha, Srikant Sahu’s recent acts are any indication, nothing seems to be well in the Ganjam unit of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
After a brief silence of two weeks, Sahu appeared in his Constituency, Polasara on Monday. He was accompanied by his wife while addressing a public meeting in Polasara.
Interestingly, the senior BJD leader not only showed his strength in the meeting ahead of the 2024 elections, but he also cried in front of his supporters while remembering his resignation from the Cabinet recently. Moreover, he reiterated that the sexual harassment allegation brought against him was a conspiracy and heads would roll if he opens his mouth.
Asked about his emotional speech at the meeting, Sahu told reporters, “My emotions were for the love my people have for me. Tears rolled down from my eyes thinking about my people, not about my own prospects in 2024 elections.”
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the former minister is playing the emotional card fearing he would lose votes after getting ousted from the Cabinet.
“Srikant Sahu has brought shame onto the people of Polasara. The voters have already decided to reject Sahu in the upcoming elections. That is why he is playing the emotional card to lure the voters,” alleged Ghumusara BJP president, Gokulananda Mallik.
On the other hand, the political mercury in Gopalpur Assembly constituency has already shot up with the show of strength by current MLA Pradeep Panigrahi. Former BJD MLA, Panigrahi has opened a front against his previous party at Gopalpur and firing salvos at anything BJD in the area.
Speaking to reporters, Panigrahi said, “There is no district in Odisha where the BJD is in a strong position. If you look at southern Odisha, though the picture looks rosy to the BJD, it is not so in reality."
While the BJD has been backing Chief Minister’s political advisor, Gopabandhu Das in Gopalpur to check the advancements of Panigrahi, Das seems to have disappeared from the picture and can nowhere be seen. Instead, former Berhampur MP, Siddhanta Mohapatra is seen attending the party meetings in Gopalpur.
Speculations are rife that Siddhant Mohapatra might be asked to contest against Panigrahi in Gopalpur.
Asked about the party situation in Ganjam, the president of Ganjam BJD, Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik said, “Gopabandhu Das has not disappeared. In fact, he has gone away on some personal work. He will return to Gopalpur soon.”
While the BJD is at a crossroads in Ganjam, the BJP is pinning hopes to take out as many votes as possible from the district to establish itself as the dominating party.