The recent BJD organisational elections in three blocks under the Tirtol Assembly constituency have raised eyebrows among the party’s rank and file not only in Tirtol but also throughout the politically conscious Jagatsinghpur district.
Hundreds of disgruntled party workers told this correspondent at Tirtol, Raghunathpur and Biridi that veteran political BJD leaders including Tirtol MLA Bishnu Charan Das were not even taken into confidence before filling of nomination, election and declaration of the result.
They alleged arbitrary and unlawful nomination and declaration of the name of three block presidents by district Retaining Officer Goutam Palit have caused unprecedented resentment and huge uproar among the genuine BJD workers of Tirtol Assembly segment.
Tirtol Block BJD president Basanta Mohapatra said, “The undemocratic modus operandi of the district Returning Officer Goutam Palit, party observer for Jagatsinghpur district Debasis Samantaray and State Returning Officer Pratap Keshari Deb has administered a terrible body blow to the BJD organisation of Tirtol.”
“If the party supremo and our popular Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will not look into the mess of affairs of BJD organisation, it will have dangerous and detrimental repurcations for BJD in days ahead,” cautioned a BJD dedicated grass root leader of Raghunathpur block Saroj Kanta Swain.
When contacted, district Returning Officer Goutam Palit stated to have conducted the election in consultation with the district observer, SRO and MLA, Tirtol. But MLA Das bluntly denied any consultation with him.