Even as BJD massively swept 2019 Assembly polls by bagging a formidable score of 112 seats in the State, the defeat of Brahmagir frontline leader Sanjay Dasburma has brought a shadow in the ruling camp.
The two-time legislator and former Minister Burma lost to BJP candidate Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra (Baby) by a slender margin of 2,130 votes. Surprise is that even from his home turf Parikud block, Dasburma didn’t get a lead in the polling.
Though Brahamgiri block gave him a comfortable lead, however 11 panchayats included into the Assembly segment detached from Puri Sadar constituency compensated the surplus votes thus taking Burma to defeat.
After defeat, now a slugfest has begun within BJD camp with party cadres blaming each other for dissident activities. While many party workers have put onus straight on Burma for mismanagement in poll campaign, many have also blamed his ego and over-confidence only banking on Naveen’s popularity. But some cadres have put blame on chit fund scam, which the BJP counterpart used massively in the campaigns against Burma.
“Internal conflict may be a factor, but key reason is chit fund scam accusation against Sanjay. As thousands of poor people in the constituency are victim of chit fund scam that really played well against BJD,” said BJP leader Pathani Kumar Jena.
BJP candidate Baby, who is young brother of late Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra (Lulu) visited door to door of every village and drew sympathy votes. Lulu’s daughter Upsana continued to be a main attraction, who drew crowd in using issues like the thousands crores chit fund swindle and Pajero car Burma had possessed earlier. Banking on Modi wave, Baby got strong support of charismatic campaign of MP candidate Sambit Patra as well.
Now BJD cadres have begun speculations on the new leadership in Brahmagiri after Dasburma’s defeat. Looking at the probe by CBI into chit fund scam, they are not hopeful of his return to the Brahmagiri politics again.