BHUBANESWAR: A large number of BJD leaders of Bargarh district including a former MLA and a former district unit president have raised a banner of revolt against Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik for his decision to field Ritarani Sahu, widow of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu, as the party's candidate for the by-poll from Bijepur Assembly constituency.
Soon after the Chief Minister announced the candidature of Ritarani for the by-poll, former MLA Ashok Panigrahy shot off an angry letter to him severing all links with the BJD and 'Biju Parivar'. Panigrahy was suspended from the BJD after he contested as a rebel candidate from Bijepur constituency in 2014 election. Panigrahy polled over 19,000 votes which led to the defeat of party's official candidate Prasanna Acharya. His suspension is yet to be withdrawn.
"You are well aware of the tacit support you extended to me during the last election even though I was contesting as an Independent candidate," Panigrahy said in the letter to Naveen. He further said though he is not active in the party legally, he worked to implement Biju Babu's ideals and strengthen the BJD at the grassroots level."Since you are prepared to stoop low for a small political benefit by sacrificing larger interest of the State, I have decided to carry forward my fight against you with the support of other like minded people of Bijepur," he said.
Former president of the Bargarh district unit of BJD Prabhat Aditya Mishra has also openly revolted against the Chief Minister's decision. Describing Ritarani, Subal's son Sumit and others who joined BJD as 'Rahul BJD', Mishra and his supporters submitted a memorandum to BJD district unit president and former minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha strongly protesting against Ritarani's candidature.
However, senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said resentment in the party over the issue is a media creation and the party is united. "There is no resentment," he said.Ritarani, Sumit and about 3,000 Congress workers had joined BJD on Saturday in the presence of the Chief Minister. Sahu was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly for three consecutive times from Bijepur in 2004, 2009, 2014 elections.