BRAJRAJNAGAR: Internal discord within the BJD was out in the open on Wednesday after all 23 councillors of Brajrajnagar municipality took part in the no-confidence motion against chairperson Jagyasini Oram.
The motion against Oram, who was directly elected on a BJD ticket, was supported by 20 councillors of her own party, two of BJP and one BSP.
Sources said there was some dispute between Oram and the councillors for the last few months. On January 6, the councillors had formally requested the Jharsuguda collector to initiate her removal, prompting the administration to schedule the no-confidence vote.
However, Oram approached the Orissa High Court, which subsequently ordered that the results of the no-confidence vote remain undisclosed until after a hearing scheduled for February 5. The conflict is believed to have stemmed from political realignments within the BJD. Oram, initially aligned with the faction of late BJD leader Naba Kishore Das, is said to have shifted her allegiance to former Brajrajnagar MLA Alka Mohanty. This realignment reportedly alienated Das’ supporters within the party.
Speaking to the media, Oram alleged that she was targeted due to her tribal background. She claimed that her development initiatives were deliberately obstructed by councillors and municipal officials.
Alleging mistreatment, Oram also released a video addressed to BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, further fuelling the controversy.
District collector Aboli Sunil Narwane said the no-confidence vote was conducted peacefully. “All 23 votes were cast, and the ballot papers have been secured in the treasury. As per the high court’s directions, the results cannot be declared until further orders,” she added.
The incident has exposed the factionalism within the BJD’s Brajrajnagar unit raising questions about the party’s internal stability in the district.