Entry of Cong leaders sparks anger in BJD 

JAGATSINGHPUR: Resentment is brewing among BJD leaders of Tirtol over induction of Congress members in the party without consulting them.On Tuesday, several panchayat and block-level leaders expressed their displeasure before Attabira MLA Snehangini Chhuria during a party meeting in Tirtol.

Snehangini, who has been given the charge of Tulang, Ibrisingh and Garam panchayats by BJD for the upcoming bypoll, interacted with local leaders and workers and advised them to work unitedly to ensure the win of party candidate. However, BJD leaders of Tulang strongly criticised the State leadership for allowing local Congress member Krushna Chandra Mallick to join the party. 

Local leader Sukant Mohanty alleged that BJD workers are not accepting Krushna as a party member since he and his supporters were their bitter rivals in the past. “Krushna is strong supporter of Congress leaders former MLA Chiranjib Biswal and ex-MP Ranjib Biswal. He had lodged false cases against BJD leaders in the past. His entry in BJD has created discontentment among party workers. The senior BJD leaders should have consulted us and and considered our views on the matter since we know the situation at the ground level,” Sukant said.

On Monday, 10 Congress leaders including State convener of Congress SC/ST cell Debendra Mallick and former Zilla Parishad member Krushna joined BJD in Bhubaneswar in presence of the party’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, Jagatsinghpur observer Debashish Samantray, district BJD president and MLA Prasant Muduli and local MP Rajashree Mallick.

Sources said Snehangini interacted only with supporters of former MLA late Bishnu Das. MP Rajashree’s supporters including block BJD president Gangadhar Biswal were not invited to the meeting.