The entire Sundargarh district has been trifurcated into three BJP organisational districts, i.e., Panposh, Bonai and Sundargarh.
As Panposh organisational district consists of Rourkela, Raghunathpalli and Biramitrapur Assembly segments, it carries importance for the party. So, now, talks are on over who will be the Panposh district chief.
Sources said a couple of days ago, State BJP Mahila Morcha president Pravati Parida had visited Rourkela as the observer for party organisational body election. During that time in presence of other leaders, she had announced the presidents of 19 Mandals of the Panposh organisational district and received applications from different aspirants for the post of district president.
Sources said the applicants for district chief are Nihar Ray, Subrat Patnaik, Jagabandhu Behera, Tapan Swain, Latika Patnaik and Debendra Birganthia.
Amongst all though Ray is the youngest in party as he joined in March, 2015, but in the present context, he is seen to be the most deserving one for the district chief post.
He has a vast experience in politics. He has been associated with politics since his student career. He was the president of the youth wing of the then Janata Dal and later was directly elected as the Chairman Rourkela Municipality.
Backing Dilip Ray, he had joined Congress and got ticket for Rourkela Assembly segment in 2004 which he had lost. Later, he became the president of the Rourkela DCC. When Ray became MLA of Rourkela in 2014, he joined BJP in 2015 and managed to maintain his rapport with party’s top leaders like Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram etc. despite the difference of Ray with the party.
Due to his good rapport with top leaders and organisational skill, he managed to get the party ticket in 2019 Assembly election for Rourkela seat. Besides, he has also good presence in Rourkela Municipal Corporation area where there would be election next year. So, now he has an edge over others for the district chief, feel many political pundits here.
Jagabandhu Behera, the other aspirant, who is now the party’s district chief, had joined the BJP in 2014 as a supporter of Ray.
He had managed to get the ticket for Raghunathpalli Assembly seat then. After losing the election, he managed to become the party’s district chief with the blessing of Ray. Even in 2019, he could manage to get the party ticket once again maintaining his rapport with the senior leaders. But unfortunately, he lost the poll in a low margin.
The next aspirant Subrat Pattanaik is a youth leader and since his entry in politics, he has been in the BJP and having his rapport with Dharmendra Pradhan. Besides, he is also enjoying blessing of Dhiren Senapaty who is now party’s State secretary and a senior leader of Rourkela. So, he is definitely a strong contender for the Panposh district chief post.
Similarly, the rest three have established their capability in their respective field of political activities but comparatively are in less talk in the political circle here. But above all, the opinion of Shankar Oram, MLA, Biramitrapur, may be vital for the State committee before putting the tick against any name. Because out of three Assembly segments, he is the only party MLA and is in good book of certain party leaders, besides having good RSS and VHP connections.