Suspended BJD leader Prasanta Jagdev confident of renomination

BHUBANESWAR: When speculations are flying thick and fast about a major revamp in BJD ahead of the 2024 elections - with many sitting MLAs expected to be replaced with new faces - two senior leaders have their daggers drawn over party ticket for Chilika Assembly seat.

The sitting MLA from the coastal constituency Prasanta Jagdev, who has been suspended from the party, on Saturday exuded confidence of his renomination from Chilika.“I am confident that BJD president Naveen Patnaik will revoke my suspension soon and he will give the party ticket to me,” Jagdev told mediapersons.

A known bete noire of former Chilika MLA Raghunath Sahu, who has been lobbying hard for party ticket, Jagdev came down heavily on the former for playing a major role in his suspension from the party.Stating that Sahu has become politically insignificant, Jagdev said the former is day dreaming for getting BJD ticket when he has no chance to win from the seat.

“The party opted for me in Chilika as Sahu stood no chance to win. He has no base in the constituency. He has been hatching conspiracy against me after I got elected from Chilika. He will not succeed in his endeavour,” Jagdev said.

Jagdev, suspended from the BJD in October 2021 for anti-party activities after he assaulted a BJP dalit leader of Chilika, accused Sahu of conspiring with the BJP to create a situation near the Banpur block office where he was assaulted and his vehicle was ransacked on March 12, 2022.

Sahu, who was elected from Chilika on BJD ticket in 2014 and 2019, on the other hand said that the people of the state knew very well about me and Jagdev.“He (Jagdev) is a man without character and at least eight criminal cases are pending against him. He has no moral right to comment on me,” Sahu said.

The former MLA said that Jagdev who was denied bail from Orissa High Court in the Banpur incident in which he rammed his vehicle on a crowd and injuring 20 people including eight police personnel got his bail from the Supreme Court. This speaks volume about his criminal mindset, Sahu added.