TV
The annual tribal festival of Koraput-Parab-2023 organised by the District Council of Culture at Borigumma saw two traditional political rivals from Congress, Saptagiri Ulaka and Tara Prasad Bahinipati exchanging gifts and hugs.
As per reports, Jeypore MLA Bahinipati gifted idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra to Koraput MP Ulaka and they hugged each other on the stage too, hinting at the improvement in their sour relationship.
“The festival is a success with the cooperation of everybody. I want to extend my gratitude to everybody including the people representatives and journalists,” said Bahinipati while speaking to the reporters.
“We came here in a long rally with people dancing and enjoying the festival. People irrespective of political affiliations have joined hands to make Parab 2023 a success. This will definitely showcase the hidden talents and skills of the people of Koraput,” said Ulaka.
The rift between the two leaders intensified after the removal of Bahinipati’s wife Meenakshi as the president of Koraput district Congress. Meenakshi was at the helm of the affairs in Koraput for a long time. She expressed her resentment against the move openly and held MP Ulaka responsible for it.
However, the recent meeting on the Parab stage indicated their intention to resolve the issues amicably. But it remains to be seen whether the new-found friendship is for real or stage-managed keeping the 2024 elections in mind.
