Ahead of the Nuapada district ZP President election scheduled on April 26, the members of BJD and Congress were found publicly attacking each other.
The district presidents of both the parties and their party members attacked each other in front of the district SP inside Nuapada police station on Saturday night.
The members of both sides lodged cases against each other in the police station after they were calmed down by the police. However, a quarrel started again on the main road at midnight. “The BJD members entered into my house at mid night and damaged a four wheeler and four bikes,” said Nuapada Congress block president Amod Guru.
likewise, the BJD block president gave a counter complaint that the Congress members damaged his bike. An FIR has been lodged with the police in this matter by Guru.
Nuapada district had never experienced such violent incidents in the past, not even during the general elections. The incident on Saturdaygives a message that the quarrel among rival parties would continue till the end of the ZP chief election which will be held next week. Some political analysts, however, say that the conflict will continue.
The BJD has lost the block chairpersonship in Nuapada and Khariar. The party is not sure, whether it will win the ZP president post due to strong opposition from tribal ZP members. “lambodar Nial, who is aspirant for the post of president, had strongly opposed the candidature of Balakrushna Sabar, a tribal for the post of chairman of Khariar block. Sabar won the election with support from Congress members. So it is now clear that the tribals may not support Nial for the ZP chief post.
Having eight ZP members at present, the BJD is in a comfortable position to win the president post, but in case of a rift within them, the Congress which has five ZP members now may take control by supporting the split group. Senior BJD members of the district like Rajendra Dholkia, Prasanna Padhi etc, are trying their best to keep the flock together. They conducted a meeting with the elected ZP members at Nuapada, but failed to convince the aggrieved members. Now their next plan is to meet the State leaders to evolve a consensual candidate.