BJD ‘divided’ over Naba Das

BHUBANESWAR/JHARSUGUDA: Even as the BJD prepares to welcome Jharsuguda legislator Naba Kishore Das to the party, resentment is brewing among a section of the party in the district unit.
A group of senior leaders of the party was deputed to Jharsuguda by the party supremo Naveen Patnaik to manage the situation and prevent it from snowballing into a major issue. Taking in Das to the BJD and giving him ticket to contest from the Jharsuguda assembly constituency would not be easy and smooth affair as senior leader and former Speaker of the Assembly Kishore Kumar Mohanty would have to be shifted to a new constituency. Though Mohanty refrained from making his resentment over entry of Das to BJD public, sources said that he is not happy with the developments which will require him to cede ground to his arch rival.

The issue was discussed at the executive body meeting of the Jharsuguda district BJD unit which was attended by minister for steel and mines Prafulla Mallik, former ministers Pranab Prakash Das and Sanjay Dasburma. Das also attended the meeting towards the end.

Mohanty said the meeting discussed how to make Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Jharsuguda district on January 24 a success. The Chief Minister will visit Jharsuguda to inaugurate a cancer hospital and address a public meeting. Das will join BJD at Jharsuguda on January 24.

Mohanty, a former Speaker, was elected thrice to the assembly from Jharsuguda constituency. He was elected to the assembly first time from the Jharsuguda constituency on a Janata Dal ticket in 1990. He represented the constituency as a BJD MLA twice in 2000 and 2004, after which it was Das who won twice in 2009 and 2014 elections. 

Das and Mohanty contested the three assembly elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014, directly against each other. The score is in favour of Das 2-1. Political observers are now waiting for the next move of Mohanty, who is now the chairperson of the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC).