All is not well for the BJD as far as Jagatsinghpur politics is concerned. Wrangling among the leaders of the district unit goes non-stop much to the chagrin of the BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who hardly tolerates indiscipline and is known for harshest punishment to leaders for unruly action.
Jagatsighpur district BJD president and former Minister Bishnu Das and Paradip MlA and Excise Minister Damodar Rout are in opposite poles rendering the BJD a divided house in Jagatsinghpur. The latest bout of barbs between Dr Rout and Das and the former with Cuttack-Barabati MlA Debasis Samantray, who is originally from Jagatsighpur district, has been not only unsavoury but a pointer to an ominous trend of disorderliness gaining ground in the party.
That senior party leader Rout goes rudderless despite having been suspended from the BJD leaves little option of action against him for Patnaik now. Rout was asked to quit Ministerial berth and was suspended from the party itself when Pyarimohan Mohapatra was in the pink of health in BJD. However, after Mohapatra’s unceremonious exit from the party, Dr Rout, who never stood Mahapatra, shot to prominence in the party. Especially when he claimed to have a prime role in foiling Mohapatra’s mid-night coup against Patnaik, he grew the CM’s favourite. Yet, the blabbermouth is unstoppable these days. little does he care about disciplinary action against him since he has got used to it, alleges Samantray.
Das’s strained relation with Dr Rout has been going on for far too long. The acrimony was manifest when recently Das dubbed Rout as a Congress Pravari and a BJP advisor. He accused Rout of being involved in anti-BJD activities, especially when he did not attend the BJD fest in December last of Jagatsinghpur unit and held a separate meeting with his band of supporters. Rout, however, rubbished the allegation, saying even if Das’s view is accepted it would be a gain for BJD. Rout said that if while in BJD he was considered the Congress Pravari and BJP advisor, he would only lead the Opposition parties the way it benefits the BJD.
After Cuttack Mayor’s resignation in ration card mess, Rout came to her aid saying that she was innocent passing the buck on the officials. The matter would not have gone viral if he had not gone to accuse the BJD functionaries in Cuttack of exerting pressure on her to quit. Samantray was soon to attack Rout alleging that a senior leader like Rout’s statement was out of place and he had better see a doctor for curing his mental derangement.
The face-off was stretched too much starting from intolerance between the duo over contract work in Paradip, denial of ticket to Samantaray from the port city to cracker blast in BJD pageant in the district led by Samataray etc.