KENDRAPARA: This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests. This adage applies to senior BJP leader and veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra who started canvassing for his son Aravinda, who is contesting from the Patkura Assembly seat as a BJD candidate, during a meeting in Kalapada recently.
Once a bitter critic of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Bijoy’s presence at a BJD meeting after over 24 years has not only raised curiosity but also eyebrows among his colleagues from the saffron party which is contemplating on action against him.
“I informed BJP state president Manmohan Samal about the activities of Bijoy. The party will soon take proper action against him,” said Kishor Panda, president of the district unit of BJP.
Senior BJP leader Baidyanath Chatterjee said Mohapatra senior had been criticising the state government for over two decades but now, is toeing BJD line after allowing his son Aravinda to join the ruling party. “Despite being humiliated by the BJD supremo, he is canvassing for his son. It is illegal since he is still a member of the saffron party,” Chatterjee rued.
Bijoy, however, rubbished the claims. He said he attended the meeting as per the request of some BJD leaders as his son was to be felicitated. While Bijoy’s supporters expressed happiness over Aravinda’s candidature, it has not gone down well with the loyal BJD leaders as they feel left out and sidelined.
Supporting Aravinda’s candidature, BJD leader of Patkura Ajay Rout said, there is enormous support for senior Mohapatra at the ground level and that will be channelised by the BJD workers during the elections.
“Bijoy Mohapatra is a popular leader in Patkura as he had spearheaded development during his tenure as a minister. Hence, it is likely people will support his son in the upcoming polls,” he added.
During the 2000 election, Bijoy, one of the founders of the ruling party, was barred from contesting from the Patkura Assembly seat after the BJD denied him a party ticket at the very last moment.