BHUBANESWAR: Dissent within the BJP over ticket distribution continues to rise by the passing day with aspirants, workers and supporters openly displaying their annoyance over selection of candidates for several constituencies.
Supporters of at least two aspirants laid siege to the BJP headquarters on Tuesday to put pressure on the state leadership to finalise the nominations in favour of their leaders.
Supporters of Himanshu Sekhar Sahu from Dharmasala Assembly segment gathered in front of the party office for the third day in a row to protest Smruti Rekha Pahi’s nomination from the constituency. Arriving at the party office in a large motorcycle rally, they demanded that the decision be changed and Sahu be picked as party’s candidate for the seat.
Similarly, supporters of party’s Jagatsinghpur district president Satyabrata Mohapatra also coverged at the BJP headquarters urging the party’s state leadership to give him ticket to contest from the seat in the ensuing elections. Mohapatra had been a frontrunner for the Jagatsinghpur Assembly segment till recently.
However, with former BJD Jagatsinghpur unit president Amarendra Das joining the party, Mohapatra’s camp is apprehensive that the ticket may go to Das. The saffron party is yet to announce the ticket for the seat.
Earlier, supporters of Kalucharan Khandeitaray, an aspirant from Khurda, had also created a similar scene at the party headquarters alleging exclusion of his name from the candidate list which had led the party leadership to delay announcement of name for the seat.
As the unrest continues, the saffron party, which is yet to announce tickets for 35 more Assembly seats, faces mounting pressure to address the internal turmoil and maintain cohesion. A party insider, however, said the problems are being dealt smoothly to put up a strong fight in the ensuing elections.