BHUBANESWAR: The inevitable has happened. As expected, senior leader and former minister Damodar Rout was expelled from the BJD by party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday. Rout was shown the door days after opening a front of rebellion and bringing serious allegations of corruption against the State Government. “Damodar Rout, MLA from Paradip, has been expelled from the BJD as per the directive of party president Naveen Patnaik,” said a statement issued by party’s State secretary Bijay Kumar Nayak.
The move came a day after Naveen received complaints of anti-party activities against the senior BJD leader from party workers from Jagatsinghpur district. A large number of BJD workers, led by two of Rout’s bete noires, State Planning Board Vice-Chairman and president of Jagatsinghpur district unit of BJD Bishnu Das and Balikuda MLA Prasanta Muduli, met Naveen at his residence on Tuesday and sought disciplinary action against the veteran leader.
The Chief Minister, currently in New Delhi to invite investors to ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave scheduled in November, had assured the party workers to look into the matter. Rout, a seven-time MLA, invited the wrath of his party leader by directing his attack on a bureaucrat and three young leaders alleging that they had taken control of the party. Known for making controversial statements, Rout embarrassed the Government by raking up charges of corruption in Agriculture and Cooperation departments when the Assembly is in session.
This provided the much-needed ammunition to the Opposition which created pandemonium in the Assembly demanding an explanation from the Chief Minister. Naveen had removed Rout from his Cabinet last year for his derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community. He was also stripped of all party posts, including vice-president post, subsequently. In his reaction, Rout said he felt he was non-existent in the party since his removal as minster and other posts in December last year. “The BJD is now being controlled by some power brokers and there is no internal democracy in the party. I will not join any other party but am not retiring from active public life”, Rout said, giving enough indication that he will contest the elections.