After a report was published in The Pioneer on March 17 under the caption “Meenakshi Mahanta might be BJD choice for Champua” as BJD supremo and that CM Naveen Patnaik has agreed to a proposal of Champua MLA (Independent) Santatan Mahakud to field her as BJD candidate, there is a revolt among the cadres of Mahakud.
This was evident on Sunday when Naltu Mahanta, a Councillor of the Barbil Municipality and said to be a close aide of Mahakud, along with his hundreds of supporters went to the Naveen Niwas being led by senior BJD leader Kusha Apat to show their solidarity with Kusha Apat and not with Mahakud.
They pleaded that Naveen Patnaik should give a chance to Kusha Apat to contest the elections from Champua so that BJD would have a better chance of winning. Minister Badri Narayan Patra, who represents Keonjhar district, was also present when the team met the Chief Minister.
Notably, Meenakshi Mahanta is the wife of Bhakta Mahanta, another close associate of Mahakud, who himself does not want to contest elections this time.