ROURKELA: Restructuring of the BJP’s Rourkela organisational district appears to have stirred up the hornet’s nest. The new president Purnima Kerketta has come in the firing line of a powerful section of BJP old-timers for allegedly pushing her choice of supporters in the new committee.
After names of seven each vice-presidents and secretaries, three general secretaries and one treasurer were declared, the angry BJP faction staged protest at the party office here on Tuesday. They claimed those who entered the party in recent times and in no way aligned with the BJP’s ideology have been included in the new committee.
Senior BJP leader and former state council member Pramila Das said the recommendations of Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram and RN Pali MLA DC Tanti were ignored. Important posts were given to turncoats and many among them do not even fulfil the active membership criteria. She urged the BJP’s state leadership to urgently take corrective steps or else they would not hesitate to intensify protest.
A former state general secretary of the BJP, Kerketta is considered to be a protege of Jual. Sources said the recent developments are baffling even for Jual’s close aides.
On Wednesday, Kerketta issued a rebuttal and said before preparing the new district committee list, she consulted Jual, Tanti, former union minister Dilip Ray, former MLA Shankar Oram and others. The names of new office bearers were declared with the assent of the district in-charge and the state BJP president, she claimed.
In a veiled warning, the president of Rourkela organisational district said the disgruntled leaders should refrain from damaging the party’s image to satisfy personal ego.
Rourkela organisational district of BJP commands the all-important Rourkela Assembly seat along with RN Pali, Birmitrapur and Bonai segments.
The timing of the discontent in BJP ahead of the upcoming poll of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has come as a worry for the party’s senior leadership. BJP insiders said if the infighting is not contained amicably, the party should be prepared for the worst in the upcoming RMC poll which is likely to be held soon.
In 2024 Assembly election, BJD strongman Sarada Prasad Nayak had defeated BJP’s Dilip Ray in Rourkela with a margin of 3,552 votes. Ray’s defeat was largely attributed to BJP’s rebel candidate Nihar Ray.