Ghadei’s re-entry a shot in the arm for Jajpur BJD

JAIPUR:  The revocation of former Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei’s expulsion by Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has come as a shot in the arm for the ruling party in Jajpur district. The septuagenarian leader was expelled from the party for allegedly making statements against the party supremo in September 2014.

BJD workers across the district have hailed veteran leader’s re-induction into the ruling party. “Prafulla babu was the guardian of the district. The district was headless in his absence. His re-entry will certainly boost the morale of the workers and re-energise the organisation ,” said Ranjan, a party worker. After Ghadei’s unceremonious exit from BJD over an interview to a vernacular daily in which he spoke against the party leadership, the void in the district was filled by former Panchayatiraj Minister late Kalpataru Das. 

The Dharmasala legislator dominated the party’s affairs not only in the district but also the State. However, his demise in 2015 created a vacuum again which can now be filled by Ghadei, feel political observers. 

Before he fell out of Naveen’s grace, Ghadei enjoyed enormous clout due to his proximity with the Chief Minister. He was given a Cabinet berth in the BJD Government and assigned important portfolios like Finance, Health, Excise and School and Mass Education. The senior leader also held the post of State vice president of BJD. 

Ghadei, a seven time legislator, was for the first time elected from the erstwhile Jajpur West constituency on a Jana Congress ticket in 1967. He was re-elected from this seat as a Congress candidate in 1971.
The veteran leader then changed his seat and was elected to State Assembly five times in a row since 1990 from Sukinda seat as Janata Dal candidate and later BJD. He was denied a party ticket to seek re-election from the seat in 2014. His son Pritiranjan Ghadei, was instead, given a BJD ticket in the 2014 elections and he won from there.