
ROURKELA: A sense of unease prevails among the BJP rank and file due to the delay in announcement of the party’s president for the all-important Rourkela organisational district.
The BJP recently merged its Panposh and Bonai organisational districts to form the Rourkela unit in a bid to rejuvenate the party’s organisation in the steel city.
BJP insiders said against the accepted practice of unanimous election with single nomination, seven aspirants are in the race for the post of Rourkela unit chief. With no voting system, the state leadership has to pick one from the seven aspirants.
Former Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram, state BJP general secretary Purnima Kerketta and outgoing Panposh unit general secretary Sashank Jena are touted to be the frontrunners.
If sources are to be believed, the candidatures of both Purnima and Shankar are backed by two influential union ministers. Amid intense lobbying by the aspirants to grab the powerful post, the state BJP leadership looks in no mood to antagonise either factions and is hoping for a consensus.
In a worst-case scenario, a surprise name may come up, but the BJP rank and file looks worried of the possibility of getting a weak president after the party’s dismal show in the 2024 elections in the erstwhile Panposh organisational district having the crucial Rourkela, RN Pali and Birmitrapur assembly constituencies and the lone seat in Bonai.
While the BJP suffered losses in Rourkela and Birmitrapur seats, it won the RN Pali segment with a thin margin. In Bonai assembly constituency, the party ended up in a precarious position by coming a distant third with a vote difference of around 50,000 against the CPM winner.
A senior BJP leader said Bonai was brought under Rourkela unit in view of the upcoming delimitation of constituencies in Sundargarh revenue district and to strengthen the party organisation in all four assembly constituencies under a single president.
State BJP spokesperson Dhiren Senapati said due to merger of Panposh and Bonai units, declaration of the name of Rourkela president has been put on hold for further discussion. However, the name would be announced soon. Earlier, the BJP declared Girish Sahu as the president for Sundargarh organisational district having Sundargarh, Talsara and Rajgangpur assembly seats.