BJD vice-president and Former Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai on Wednesday apparently expressed his unwillingness to play politics from the front.
“We are no longer in centre-forward race. We are now fit for umpiring,” Ghadai said, apparently referring to his declining career in power politics, while addressing a gathering on the occasion of noted lawyer Madan Mohan Swain death anniversary organised at Jajpur Road.
It may be noted that Ghadai was denied a BJD ticket during the last elections to seek reelection from his Sukinda Assembly constituency. Instead, his son Pritiranjan Ghadai got the ticket and won the seat.
Ghadai remembered Swain as an eminent lawyer and social worker of the State. Swain was founder president of the Jajpur District Bar Association.
Former Judge of Odisha High Court Nityananda Prusty inaugurated a 60-foot-high statue of Swain.
Among others, Korei MlA Akash DasNayak, Vyasanagar Municipality Chairperson Sabita Rout, former Chairman Hrusikesh Rout and Councillor Usha Rani Samal, senior journalist Krushna Chandra Samal, Nagarik Committee president Dr HK Sahoo and late Swain’s granddaughter Ananya Sandha were preset. A souvenir was released on the occasion.