PARADIP: A day ahead of ULB polls, five BJD leaders including general secretary of urban BJD unit Saroj Parida were suspended from the party for allegedly indulging in anti party activities. The five are contesting as independent candidates under the banner of Aama Paradip Aama Pragati (APAP) party supported by trade unions.
If sources are to be believed, factionalism within the BJD here came to the fore after party leaders reportedly ignored some grassroots workers aspiring to fight elections. Rather they took BJP and the Congress supporters into confidence and gave them the party tickets. The BJD rebels are now contesting against the party candidates to make their win difficult by dividing votes, sources added.
President of urban BJD unit, Paradip, Basant Kumar Biswal informed that general secretary of urban BJD unit Saroj Parida contesting from ward no 19, Jagannath Rao from ward no 18, Lova Behera from ward no 3, Santosh Biswal ward no 14 and Golakh Sahoo from ward no 15 have been suspended for their anti party activities. The rebels however feel that their contesting the elections has panicked the party leaders and the suspension was imminent.
General secretary of urban BJD unit Parida said we are not involved in anti-party activities but the people at the helm have indulged in petty politics by giving party ticket to candidates from other parties ignoring us who have slogged all these years for the party. “Local voters will give the party a befitting reply in the polls,” he added.