Squabbles in the Jagatsinghpur unit of the BJD came to the fore once again as over a dozen of local leaders met party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here with a host of grievances against Tirtol MlA Rajashree Mallick.
The complainants, including eight ZP Members and three block Chairmen, alleged before Patnaik that the MlA has been ignoring them and holding meetings with Congress members.
“MlA Rajashree Mallick has been ignoring party workers and representatives at the grassroots level, for which a division in the BJD is imminent. She has links with mafia Dhalsamant brothers. Besides, she is doing politics with the help of a liquor mafia from Biridi called Chicken Babu and a Tirtol-based mafia litu Mohapatra,” Raghunathpur block Chairman Rajat Patra alleged.
Similarly, Raghunathpur ZP Member Sarojkant Swain said when the mandate is in favour of the Naveen Patnaik Government, it is not understood why the MlA fears and takes platoons of police force to address meetings. “This is unfortunate. Are all the ZP Members and three block Chairmen bad,” Swain wanted to know.
On the other hand, Mallick refuted the allegations and said people would decide whether she is right or wrong.
“People have already rejected them for their corrupt practices. People are not accepting them. Disheartened by this, they have gone to the Naveen Niwas. They had told me that they would join the BJP. I don’t know whether they are in BJD or BJP,” remarked Mallick.
Meanwhile Jagatsinghpur BJD district president Bishnu Charan Das said the MlA has links with persons with criminal antecedents.
“She is having links with notorious criminal and liquor mafia Raas Bihari Das alias Chicken Babu. Her husband worked for the Dhalsamanta brothers as a tender fixer,” Das alleged.
However, Das’ bête noire in the district and Minister Damodar Rout termed the day’s development as handiwork of Das.
“Bishnu has lost political ground in Jagatsinghpur. He wants to defame Rajashree and consolidate his position so that he would get ticket from Tirtol in the coming election,” commented Rout.