BARGARH:A delegation of BJD led by former district party president Prabhat Aditya Mishra, who had unsuccessfully contested from Bijepur Assembly segment in 2009 election, on Monday called on the district chief Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha and expressed its displeasure over nomination of Ritarani Sahu, widow of late Congress MLA Subal Sahu, as party candidate for the by-poll.
The team also petitioned him to convene a meeting of BJD workers of Bijepur Assembly segment in presence of all district leaders on the matter.
In the petition, the signatories expressed displeasure for not being taken into confidence by the party before making such an announcement. The copies of the petition have been sent to Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik and district in-charge Prafulla Mallick.
They have demanded that a meet of BJD workers should be convened at the earliest over the issue and clarified that they would not compromise on their ‘swabhiman’.
The letter has exposed the fissures that have appeared in the party over the candidature of Ritarani. The absence of prominent local leader Prasanna Acharya from the inclusion ceremony of Ritarani also points to the senior leader’s opposition to the move. Even though Acharya has clarified that he was preoccupied, political observers refuse to buy his theory.
Former district BJD chief Mishra has a wide support base in the constituency and had secured 47,893 votes in 2009 polls. He was placed second after losing to Subal. According to poll analysts, if Mishra and Acharya decide to stay away, there is no one in BJD who can guide the party to victory. This rift was reflected when Barpali block did not observe the five-hour hartal of BJD over rise in fuel price recently.