JAGATSINGHPUR : Resentment is brewing among the BJP cadre and party aspirants for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat in the district after former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai joined the saffron party.
Tarai’s hope to get BJP ticket for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat may be shattered as his arch rival Damodar Rout, who is now in BJP camp, is strongly opposing the former’s possible candidature. Tarai is reportedly lobbying to get BJP ticket for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat after joining the party on Thursday.
Tarai, a former spokesperson of OPCC, resigned from the primary membership of the grand old party on Wednesday even after being nominated by the party for Tirtol Assembly seat. Sources said Tarai wanted to be fielded from Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat which he won in 2009 on CPI ticket. However, the Congress fielded him from Tirtol Assembly segment without consulting him.
Meanwhile, former Panchayat Samiti chairperson of Erasama Basanti Pradhan, who resigned from BJD after Tirtol MLA Rajshree Mallick was declared as nominee for Lok Sabha, has been lobbying to get BJP ticket from the seat.
Pradhan said, “I will join BJP if the saffron party assures me to provide ticket to contest from Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat. Rout, who is contesting as BJP MLA candidate from Balikuda-Erasama seat, has assured me to convince State and national level leaders in favour of her candidature.”