Jolts in the offing for BJD in Keonjhar; Naveen Patnaik to step out to salvage party! 

The recent meeting of 18 BJD-supported samiti members of Keonjhar block with Chief Minister Mohan Majhi in his Bhubaneswar residence has sent shockwaves in the Keonjhar district unit of BJD. 

After the meeting between 18 BJD-supported samiti members of Keonjhar block and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, it is being discussed that there may soon be a no-confidence motion against the Sadar block chairman who is a BJD leader. 

Similarly, dealing out another jolt to the party, 14 BJD-supported samiti members and 14 Sarpanchs of Bansapal block in the district also recently joined the BJP in the presence of Telkoi MLA Fakir Mohan Nayak. 

Since some areas of Keonjhar Sadar and Telkoi Assembly constituencies are coming under the Bansapal Assembly constituency; a no-confidence motion may be brought against the Bansapal block chairman. It is speculated so because the party has retained the Bansapal block chairman post by winning 18 seats out of 21 seats. But now, 17 of the 18 members have joined the BJP. 

“We won because of the promises we made during the election. But no project has so far been carried out in our panchayat. We are being harassed for the last two and a half years,” said Basant Kumar Sahu, samiti member of Gopinathpur Panchayat. 

Telkoi MLA Fakir Mohan Nayak said, “In the coming days, there will be no sign of BJD. People are aware of BJP’s welfare programmes and yojanas.

After being inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ideology, they are joining BJP.”

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At the same time, to salvage the party, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik will no longer depend on VK Pandian and visit across the state. In the recently held first coordination committee meeting after the party’s debacle, the leaders’ pent-up anger against Pandian found expression. The committee suggested Naveen should go around the state and take stock of the party’s organisation. 

“Naveen Patnaik will visit the districts, meet the workers, hold discussions with them and encourage them,” said Ashwini Patra, BJD MLA. 
BJP state president Manmohan Samal said, “As the LoP, he should visit the areas including the ones he has not visited during his 24 years of rule. This way, he can get an idea of what he has done and what has been left out.”

On the other hand, Congress said Naveen Patnaik’s going around the state would bear no fruit. 
“His visit to different areas would have no effect. Once a downfall sets in, it continues,” said Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati