Elections 2019: Factional feud on rise within BJD

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the upcoming general elections in the State, resentment is brewing among BJD party workers over selection of candidates.

In Brajrajnagar, some local BJD workers alleged that BJD MLA Anup Kumar Sai is involved in anti-party activities and is ignoring party workers. Representatives of local panchayat have threatened to refrain from voting if Sai is given ticket by the party. In 2014, Anup had quit Congress and unsuccessfully represented Brajrajnagar Assembly constituency for BJD.

“We are protesting Anup Sai’s candidature for the upcoming elections. He is very self-serving and does not care about the party. We will boycott elections if Sai is given party ticket again,” said Sarpanch of Sarannamal panchayat in Brajrajnagar, Pravati Behera.

In Jharsuguda, BJD's party organisation has changed with Naba Das joining the party from Congress. According to sources, Jharsuguda BJD leader Kishore Mohanty could contest election from Brajrajnagar constituency.

"When someone from other party joins, there will be indifferences which will be resolved gradually," Mohanty said.

Likewise, intra-party feud between Bishnu Das and Rajashree Mallick in Jagatsinghpur, while in Sundergarh between Kusham Tete and Jogesh Singh is apparently disconcerting for the party.

Things are no different in Begunia where Prasant Jagadev and Prasant Nanda's son Rishab Nanda are at loggerheads. In Nayagarh, Arun Sahoo and Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh are engaged in a conflict.

Speaking on the alleged intra-party conflict over selection of candidates, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “Our party will take the right decision at the appropriate time.”