ROURKELA: The victory of former union minister Dilip Ray (72) in the Rajya Sabha polls on Monday evening sent his close aides and supporters into a frenzy across Rourkela city.
Cheering the return of Ray to the power corridors after a hiatus of more than seven years, they distributed sweets and danced to drum beats amid bursting of firecrackers.
No sooner did the confirmation of Ray’s victory came, his supporters formed into large groups and celebrated at prominent junctions in the city including the STI roundabout, Lal Building area on Rourkela main road and Malgodown area. Some followers also distributed fruits to patients at the Rourkela Government Hospital. Sources said more than 500 followers of Ray reached Bhubaneswar to celebrate with their beloved leader.
“By the blessings of Lord Jagannath, righteousness has triumphed,” said Ray’s confidante and former president of Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industry Subrata Patnaik. He said it is a victory of the people of Rourkela and Odisha and thanked the senior BJP leadership for backing Ray’s candidature and ensuring his victory.
Another close aide of Ray, Satyanand Mohanty, said this victory would further strengthen the BJP in Rourkela and also help in effectively raising the development issues of the city with the Centre and the state government.
Ray had quit the BJP and resigned as the MLA of Rourkela on November 30, 2018 voicing dissatisfaction over inordinate delay in implementation of some mega projects in Rourkela. He returned to the BJP with much fanfare just before the 2024 elections, but suffered a shock defeat from BJD candidate SP Nayak by a thin margin of 3,552 votes.
With the BJP forming government in Odisha, locals felt there was a leadership vacuum in the Rourkela unit of BJP to address multiple issues of the city.
CROSS-VOTING: TIRTOL MLA’S EFFIGY BURNT
Jagatsinghpur: BJD workers resorted to protests after the party’s Tirtol MLA Ramakanta Bhoi reportedly cross-voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha polls on Monday. After Bhoi’s defiance of the party whip was out in the open, strong resentment surfaced in the BJD camps in Tirtol, Biridi and Raghunathpur blocks. Several party leaders and workers staged protests and burnt the MLA’s effigy. BJD leaders of Raghunathpur block claimed Bhoi, who was earlier associated with the BJP, was given the party ticket to contest from Tirtol Assembly constituency from where he was elected as the MLA.
By cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election, he has betrayed the trust placed in him by the BJD leadership and its supremo Naveen Patnaik, they alleged. Criticising the MLA for going against the party line leading to the defeat of BJD’s second candidate Dr Datteswar Hota, party workers staged demonstration at Redhua Bazaar and burnt Bhoi’s effigy. Despite repeated attempts, the MLA could not be contacted as he did not respond to calls.
PATKURA BJD WORKERS MIFFED WITH ARVIND
Kendrapara: Cross-voting by suspended BJD MLA from Patkura Arvind Mohapatra in the Rajya Sabha election on Monday sent shockwaves through the party ranks in his Assembly constituency.Idris Ali, a BJD leader of Patkura, came down heavily on the MLA for going against the party whip. “It was shocking to know that the MLA voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha polls though he was elected from Patkura constituency as a BJD candidate. We had worked hard for Arvind’s victory in the 2024 Assembly election. But he betrayed the people of Patkura,” he alleged.
President of BJD’s Kendrapara district unit Shiba Prasad Bhol also criticised Arvind for not voting in favour of eminent physician Dr Datteswar Hota whose candidature was supported by the BJD and Congress. However, party worker Ajaya Das said BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik had suspended Arvind from the party two months back. It was natural for the MLA to vote against the BJD candidate, he added.