The BJD has formed the municipal councils in Joda and Keonjhar winning a majority in the last elections. But soon after, the councillors revolted against the party decisions and made it difficult for their elected chairpersons to run the civic bodies.
In Keonjhar, the BJD councillors, going against the party decisions, voted for an independent vice chairman candidate projected by Champua MlA Sanatan Mahakud soon after the civic body polls. Recently, nine councillors of BJD moved a no confidence motion against Chairperson Mina Majhi of their party.
Similarly, BJD Councillors along with other independent Councillors in Joda moved a no confidence motion against their Chairperson from BJD. The supporters of Mahakud are said to have started a process to take over as the Chairman in both the civic bodies at Joda and Keonjhar.
Mahakud by his money power had backed many candidates in the last elections and most of them continue to be in his payroll since then, it is alleged. He has been a deciding factor in Joda and Keonjhar Municipality and virtually wields the power to make or break.
However, after Mahakud came into the SIT and ED scanner, probing black money, he joined hands with the BJP seeking protection and to escape the clutches of the Central agencies. At his behest, the Councillors in Joda and Keonjhar are interested to join BJP while he himself is preparing to contest the next Assembly election in BJP ticket.
When contacted, Mahakud denied his involvement in the municipality crisis. Be that as it may, the present political upheaval in Joda and Keonjhar has surely exposed the increasing factionalism in the district BJD.