ROURKELA: Senior BJP leader Dilip Ray received a tumultuous welcome from his emotionally-charged supporters as he returned to Rourkela on Friday after his recent victory in the Rajya Sabha elections.
During a brief interaction with mediapersons at the Mayfair World Cup Village, Ray debunked allegation of horse-trading against him in RS polls and said the opposition MLAs voted for him due to his personal connection with them. “I have a very good and personal relation with several MLAs of BJP, BJD and Congress.”
Ray said before taking oath as a RS Member, he decided to first visit Rourkela and take blessings of the people. “After the oath-taking, I will start addressing the issues of the city. I am aware of almost all the problems of Rourkela and would get to know about the other issues after holding discussions at the appropriate level,” he said.
Arriving from Jharsuguda by road in the morning, the BJP leader accompanied by his wife Puja Ray and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram was taken in a massive procession from Panposh square. The procession passed through the heavily-crowded Rourkela main road before culminating at Bisra square.
In the afternoon, Ray visited the Hanuman Vatika temple complex and met the members of a host of socio-cultural outfits. Sundargarh collector Subhankar Mohapatra, DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai and Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani also met him. Later, Ray left for Jharsuguda to take a flight to Bhubaneswar.
Ray’s return to power as a RS Member after his shock defeat from Rourkela Assembly seat in 2024 polls has come as a great hope for the people of Rourkela. It is expected that his victory in the RS elections will fill the leadership vacuum of the ruling BJP in Rourkela to effectively address the burning issues of the city.
This is the third time Ray has made it to the Upper House of the Parliament. After his defeat in 1995 elections from Rourkela Assembly seat, he was elected to the RS as a Janata Dal candidate in 1996. After being ousted from the BJD and fighting against all odds, he managed to retain his RS membership in 2002.