BHUBANESWAR: The exclusion of senior party leader and former minister Susanta Singh from the panel of observers for Jharsuguda by-election has provided another opportunity for the Opposition BJP and Congress to target the ruling BJD. The BJP lost no time to claim that the BJD has proved Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra right.
“Mishra has been alleging connection of the BJD leader with the murder of minister Naba Kishore Das. The LoP had made this charges both inside and outside the Assembly. By dropping Singh from the panel of observers, the ruling party in some way has admitted it,” state BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan told mediapersons here.
Harichandan said, there is deep resentment among the supporters of the slain BJD leader because of the manner in which the Crime Branch is taking the investigation and agency is yet to find out the motive of the murder even after more than two months.
“The BJD has deliberately kept Singh away from the Jharsuguda bypoll management to protect the party from the anger of the Das’ supporters. The ruling party leadership believed that the people will forget him if he is not seen during the bypoll,” Harichandan said.
He said some BJD leaders were kept away from the ‘Dasah’ (10th day rituals) of the Das and others who were given responsibility of election management in the last by-election to Padampur have not been involved in the ensuing bypoll to Jharsuguda Assembly seat. He, however, did not name the leaders who have been sidelined.
Making similar claims, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said the exclusion of the senior BJD leader, who is considered very influential in western Odisha politics, proved the ruling party is aware of something. Responding to Opposition allegations, BJD MP from Dhenkanal Mahesh Sahoo said the BJP and Congress has nothing to do with the election management of BJD. Why should the BJD consult the Opposition on who is suited best for election management, he asked.