While rebel MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra has been expelled from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) allegedly for spreading canards against party supremo Naveen Patnaik under the Odisha Jana Morcha (OJM) banner, party leaders took a lenient view of the Biju Bichar Manch (BBM), floated last year by senior leader Damodar Rout, now the Health and Family Welfare Minister.
Addressing mediapersons here on Friday after the State executive meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das said dual membership will not be tolerated in the BJD. Asked about the BBM, Das, however, said the issue was not discussed. There are many clubs and a political organisations having the name of Biju Babu and BBM is one of them, he said.
Rout told this paper that BBM exists. How can it be closed down, he said, adding that the Manch members observed annual function in Baripada this year. However, it has nothing to do with the BJD, he said.
Rout had launched the BBM, a forum to propagate the ideals of late Biju Patnaik, on October 11, 2012. A large number of Biju loyalists from different parts of the State, including two former Members of Parliament, a former Minister and many former legislators participated in the meeting that was organised to launch the Manch. Bhabani Charan Patnaik, three-time Rajya Sabha member and a close associate of Biju Patnaik, formally inaugurated the forum.
Sources in the BJD said Rout had launched the BBM to create a pressure group within the BJD to oppose the dominance of Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan in the party.
Addressing the State executive meeting, the minister explained the reasons behind floating the BBM. “I had suspicion that some people are trying to take the BJD away from Biju Babu’s ideals and therefore I had launched the BBM to propagate his ideals and dreams,” Rout said.
The Chief Minister gave direction to the State executive by announcing that indiscipline and anti-party activities will not be tolerated. He also told partymen that nobody is indispensable in the party. Taking a cue, other speakers at the meeting, including Prasanna Acharya, A U Singhdeo and Prafulla Chandra Ghadei came down heavily on those indulging in slanderous campaign against the party and its chief and demanded strong action to curb these activities.