Disgraced BJD leader and Paradip MLA Damodar Rout on Wednesday announced that a new political party would be formed by him.
“The name of the new party will be announced by the end of this month. The party will be named after legendary leader Biju Patnaik,” he said.
Rout, who was last month expelled from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) by ruling party supremo Naveen Patnaik for persistent anti-party activities, said that there are now only “Nakali” (false) Biju Patnaik loyalists in the BJD. So, the new party would consist of “Asali” (true) Biju followers, he said.
Rout is trying to rope in to his proposed party the leaders who have been removed from the BJD for their utterances and activities against the party. These leaders include Prafulla Chandra Ghadai and Baijayant Panda, to name a few. Besides, he would also try to persuade some others who have no chances to be taken into the BJD despite their desire.
But to Rout’s disappointment, Prafulla Ghadai on Wednesday declined his request.
Rout told the media that Ghadai had positively responded in the morning but later backed out perhaps keeping in view the future of his son Pritiranjan Ghadai, who is a two-time BJD MLA now.
Interestingly, what Rout’s son Sambit Routray, a BJD secretary, and daughter Pritinanda Routray, a Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation BJD Corporator, would do in the event of their father launching a new party is a matter of much speculation.