Panigrahy opens Pandora’s box

BARGARH: The allegation of former Bijepur MLA Ashok Panigrahy that he was indirectly told by BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to contest against the official candidate, Prasanna Acharya, from the constituency in 2014 Assembly election, has opened a Pandora’s box. While Naveen has clarified that the issue has no truth, Panigrahy refuses to budge from his stand.

In case there is some truth in the claims of Panigrahy, it is clear that Prasanna was defeated in his own game. Many attribute the defeat of Prasanna by 400 odd votes to his preoccupation with ensuring defeat of rebel BJD candidates rather than fighting for his victory.

Panigrahi, who had contested as rebel BJD candidate, had secured 18,232 votes to notch up fourth place. Had he not contested and worked in tandem with BJD, the win of Prasanna was almost sure. But, by not allowing anyone to grow politically in the district, Prasanna seems to have lost in his own game.

Political analysts feel that the claims of Panigrahy and the knee jerk reaction of Naveen to the charges raised by a former MLA have strengthened the claims. They recalled the role of BJD leader late Kalpataru Das in the 2014 polls when he was in charge of undivided Sambalpur district besides other districts of western Odisha.

Panigrahy’s claim that it was Das who lured him to contest and ensure defeat of Prasanna on the direction of Naveen could have been corroborated by Das.

According to sources, huge cash was seized from behind Prasanna’s office at Barpali in the run-up to election thereby restricting his campaign. On the same day, the campaign manager of Prasanna, Sailesh Dani (Bichu) of Sambalpur, was detained by Bargarh SP.

Simultaneously raids were conducted on the houses of a staunch supporter of Prasanna and Zamindar of Barpali, Lal Vikram Singhdeo, and another supporter and former Zilla Parishad member late Jayalal Gartia, the sources said.