Addressing a BJD rally at Fatepur under Kujang block on Sunday, Cuttack-Barabati MLA Debasis Samantray expressed his intention to contest the next election from the Paradip Assembly constituency and challenged expelled BJD leader and former Minister Damodar Rout, who is the sitting Paradip MLA, to face him “if he (Rout) has the courage”.
Significantly, the Fatepur meeting, held after a BJD Jana Samparka Padayatra from Pankapal village after passing several villages adjoining to Kujang block, was presided over by prominent fishermen leader and Damodar Rout’s former associate Harekrushna Samal.
The meeting was attendedc by former Kujang block Chairman Narendra Parida, Jagatsinghpur MP Kulamani Samal, MLAs Prasanta Muduli, Pravat Tripathy and Rajendra Prasad Sahu, Biju Mahila Janata Dal president Minati Behera, Paradip Municipalty Chairman Basanta Kumar Biswal and former Municipality Chairman Govinda Tarai, Paradip BJD unit president Sumanta Biswal and many senior party leaders from Paradip.
The BJD leaders criticised Damodar Rout describing him as a turncoat and said his criticism against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would not at all harm the BJD in coming elections.