BALASORE: The BJP’s decision to nominate an “outsider” Rajendra Das for the Soro Assembly Segment in Balasore district has sparked resentment in the local unit and aspirants.
Das hails from Dhamnagar and had contested unsuccessfully from the Assembly seat in 2019 as a BJD candidate but switched to BJP later.
The announcement of Das as the candidate led to closure of the party office for nearly 12 days, with party workers expressing dissatisfaction over his selection. Some party members even prevented Das from campaigning in the Soro area just two days ago.
Critics within the party allege that despite the presence of three prominent local candidates who have actively worked for the constituency’s development, Das, an outsider, was favoured. Rakesh Mallick, Mrityunjay Jena, and Rabindra Jena, all prominent names from the region, were overlooked, adding fuel to the dissent.
Party workers voiced concerns about Das’ lack of familiarity with the constituency, citing his roots in another district. They questioned the level of trust voters could place in him, given his unfamiliarity with local issues.
Ganesh Das, a prominent BJP leader of Soro, hinted at potential defections from the party if local aspirants continue to be sidelined.
Discontent follows Das’ previous stint as a BJD leader in Dhamnagar, where he contested independently in a by-election after being denied a ticket by the ruling party. He ended in the third spot and received just 8,153 votes in the by-poll which was won by BJP candidate Suryabanshi Suraj.
He later switched allegiance to the BJP, hoping for a ticket from Dhamnagar constituency but was instead nominated for Soro, fuelling dissatisfaction among local party members.