Dissidence has been growing in the BJP cadre in Balikuda area after the party gave ticket to one Satya Sarathi Mohanty for the Balikuda- Erasama Assembly seat for this election.

As many as six saffron party leaders were aspirants for party ticket from the seat and they have been openly revolting against party higher-ups, mainly State president Manmohan Samal.

They have claimed that the candidature of Mohanty was not acceptable to them. “We request party seniors to reconsider the decision and change Mohanty's ticket for the Balikuda- Erasama seat and field a candidate having winnability factor,” they said at a meet in Balikuda recently.
 
One of the dissatisfied leaders, Siba Brata Das hit out at the BJP leadership. He alleged that without considering the ground reality of the party in the constituency, the top leaders have awarded ticket to Mohanty who made his appearance in Balikuda area just six months ago eying the party ticket for 2024 elections. The true BJP sympathizers and ticket aspirants who are in the party in Balikuda and Erasama areas for the last five years have been ignored, Das lamented.  

Another party leader and State BJP executive body member Sanjaya Mohanty who was an aspirant for ticket alleged that money transaction was made to get party ticket.

Ironically, party ticket holder Mohanty who is not capable of winning even a panchayat sarpanch or ward member election is dreaming of becoming the MLA of Balikuda- Erasama, said Dr Sasanka Sahani.

Sources informed that these six rebel BJP leaders have the potential in Balikuda and Erasama areas. Former Minister late Damodar Rout had contested the Balikuda- Erasama Assembly seat in 2019 elections unsuccessfully and got about 36,000 votes but soon after the poll, Rout quit the BJP. However, the local BJP unit survived following the support of these six rebellious leaders during the PRIs elections. But BJP ranks denied tickets to any of them which is astonishing, said a party insider.

However, BJP candidate Mohanty defended that no clandestine deal had been made to get ticket. “It is rather on the basis of a survey and field assessment and my popularity factor that I was chosen,” he said and requested the dissidents to work unitedly for BJP to ensure that the party wins the election.