Dist BJP wants Mohapatra to be shown the door
By Express News Service | Published: 23rd December 2017 02:33 AM |
Last Updated: 23rd December 2017 08:14 AM | A+A A- |
KENDRAPARA: District BJP chief Duryodhan Sahoo on Friday urged State party president Basanta Panda and his national counterpart Amit Shah to suspend former minister and senior leader Bijay Mohapatra for anti-party activities. Addressing the media, Sahoo said Mohapatra has been expelled from all posts of the party’s district committee. “I have written letters to the State president and Shah to sack Mohapatra from the post of the national executive member of BJP for his anti-party work,” he said.
Supporters of Mohapatra clashed with local BJP leaders and workers at a public meeting of BJP in Singitia village under Garadapur block on Thursday. They had also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah. “Mohapatra’s supporters also prevented many BJP leaders from attending the meeting by blocking the road. Security forces had to be called in to control the situation,” said Sahoo.The district BJP chief also sought suspension of former party president, Kendrapara, Sukanta Dwivedi and other proteges of Mohapatra who attacked party leaders at the meeting.
On June 17 this year, Dwivedi was removed from the post of Kendrapara district president for skipping a meeting of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Kendrapara.On the other hand, Mohapatra said the meeting at Singitia was organised without informing local BJP leaders and Zilla Parishad member Ahalya Lenka, which resulted in protest from a group of party leaders. “I am not involved in any anti-party works. Some BJP leaders are conspiring against me with an ulterior motive to remove me from the party,” he said.
The rift between Pradhan and Mohapatra appears to be widening with the latter attacking the Union Minister several times over Mahanadi dispute and employment issues in Paradip Oil Refinery.
“The infighting within BJP ahead of the general elections in 2019 is not a healthy sign for the party. All party leaders should work in unison to ensure victory of BJP candidates in the polls,” said Ranjan Das, a BJP worker of Kendrapara.
