JAGATSINGHPUR: The internal turmoil in Jagatsinghpur BJD has worsened further with the revocation of suspension of the party’s former Tirtol block president Aswani Kumar Das. While Aswani, a strong supporter of late Tirtol MLA Bishnu Das, has been reinstated in the party, another BJD leader Soumya Ranjan Swain was placed under suspension for anti-party activities on Tuesday. Soumya, the district social media coordinator of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) and supporter of Jagatsinghpur MP local Rajashree Mallick, was removed from the party for making a video against Bishnu’s son Bijay Shankar Das.
These developments have widened the rift between supporters of Rajashree and Bishnu who are at loggerheads over the selection of candidates for the upcoming Tirtol by-polls. The MP’s husband Asutosh and Bijay are frontrunners for the party ticket from Tirtol. The suspension of Soumya is a double whammy for Rajashree’s supporters who were already unhappy with the party’s decision to reinstate Aswani. On September 13, Soumya along with six other BJD workers had posted a video on social media criticizing Bijay for not visiting the flood-hit people of Tirtol.
“Where are the loyalists of former MLA Bishnu Das? Flood-affected people are living in pathetic conditions but Bishnu’s supporters did not visit them during their difficult time. Instead of fighting for their own interest, they should come together for a common cause,” the suspended BJD leader said in the video which has gone viral on social media.
District president of BCJD Pradipta Bhuyan said Soumya was suspended from the party for indiscipline. He and his supporters were engaged in anti-party activities. On the other hand, Bishnu’s supporters are upbeat after Aswani’s suspension was revoked. They have started hectic lobbying for BJD ticket in favour of Bijay. Aswani was suspended by BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2011 after being arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of `1.2 lakh from an executive engineer to suppress an inquiry.
Sources said many people in Tirtol Assembly constituency are unhappy with the BJD’s decision to revoke the suspension of Aswani who was allegedly involved in criminal activities including a theft case in Angul.The post of Tirtol MLA is lying vacant after the Bishnu’s death on July 6. The by-election in Tirtol, a reserved seat, is slated to be held within November 29 this year.
Jolt for Cong, leader quits party
Jagatsinghpur: Ahead of Tirtol by-election, prominent Congress leader Rajkishore Behera resigned from the party on Thursday. Behera was the party’s candidate from Tirtol in 2009 and 2014 elections. His resignation has come as a major setback for Congress which has fared badly in the last several elections from the Assembly seat. Behera said, “I resigned from Congress after being ignored by the party. I will soon join another party in a couple of days.” However, district Congress president Natabar Barik said Behera’s resignation will not affect the party’s performance in the upcoming by-election. Sources said Congress has short-listed six aspirants for the by-poll and is likely to name a fresh and young candidate.