ROURKELA : In a pre-emptive step, the BJP on Saturday removed two mandal (zone) presidents of Rourkela Assembly constituency (AC) and one of the RN Pali AC to avoid potential sabotage during the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on May 20.
They are seen as hardcore loyalists of BJP leaders, Nihar Ray of Rourkela AC and Jagabandhu Behera of RN Pali AC. The three zones together cover above 150 polling booths.
Reliable sources informed BJP’s Panposh organisational district president Latika Patnaik on Saturday axed Rourkela Mid-Town mandal president Binder Singh and replaced him with Kedar Mohanty. The Mid-Town mandal covers the Rourkela main road localities from Uditnagar to Bisra Square. Similarly, Basanti Colony mandal president Mrigang Goswami was dropped and replaced with Samarpriya Tanti. The Basanti Colony mandal covers areas between Basanti Colony and Doorsanchar Bhawan.
Separately, BJP East Mandal president Basant Samal in RN Pali AC was sacked and replaced with Santosh Birat.
The moves come after Nihar, the defeated candidate of BJP in 2019, on Wednesday evening gathered his supporters outside his residence in a show of strength and openly opposed the candidature of former union minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. Nihar insisted he should have been the BJP candidate as he worked very hard for the party and indicated he may revolt. BJP insiders said Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate Jual Oram accompanied by Dilip met the disgruntled Nihar on Friday to soothe frayed nerves but it failed to cut ice with him. Incidentally, Nihar is a former protégé of Dilip.
Jagabandhu after being denied BJP nomination from RN Pali AC had reportedly tried to get BJD ticket. After BJD turned him down he resumed BJP’s activities as if nothing happened.
The BJP president Latika Patnaik refused to comment over the abrupt removal of the mandal presidents.