Election process for different posts of the BJD party has already started from block level. It would be completed by January 31.
But there are allegations of irregularities in the selection of the candidates for the president of Municipal Committee of Joda and Barbil. Respectively, for which the disgruntled workers met Finance Minister Pradip Amat to lodge their complaint.
Sources revealed that as per the bi-laws of the party, election for different posts should be held so that all the active members of the party can participate in the process but no such procedure was followed in Joda and Barbil. In this regard on January 27, about 50 disgruntled party workers of BJD from Joda and Barbil of Champua Assembly constituency met Amat jointly who had come as observer for the party election. The disgruntled workers told that active party workers were not taken into confidence during selection of the candidates. Their specific complaint was that members, who were expelled /suspended from the party by party president Naveen Patnaik for their anti-party activities, were once again active and interfering in the day -to- day affairs of the party with the blessing of local Minister Badrinarayan Patra.
Sushanta Kumar Barik, who was one of the aspirants for the Joda Municipality committee, told that he had filed nomination but in the last movement, one Jitendra Kumar Jaiswal, Councillor of Joda Municipality Ward No5 who happens to be brother of Mata Jaiswal (a suspended BJD member) was selected.
When asked, Mata said he had recommended the name of Sushant but Kusha Apat (also a dismissed BJD leader) changed the name of Sushant in favour of Jitendra.
likewise, Tuna Naik and others from Barbil told that Apat and his team selected one Prashant Kuamr Sahu who is not an active member of the party.
The Minister listened to the workers patiently and disapproved of the practice. However, he told that he could not take any decision without knowing the ground reality and assured them of referring the matter to the local Minister and the district BJD president. Sushanta Kumar Kar and Nira Bahidar and others, told that the party president Alekh Singh is just a silent spectator who has no control in the party and is overpowered by the close aides of Minister Patra. The members threatened to meet BJD chief Patnaik if their case was not heard of.