BJD boss Naveen Patnaik is now more scared of his own party’s rebels and disgruntled lots than the rivals in other parties.
After the selection of its election candidates, the BJD began witnessing swarms of rebels and dissatisfied elements, especially those whose hopes to get party ticket got shattered. Those who defied the party decree and filed nominations were branded as rivals. But far more were the numbers of the disgruntled leaders and workers who were ticket aspirants but were deprived of it at the last moment.
These leaders are still behind the scene and pose a major challenge to the party. Though the BJD top leaders claimed that the party had somehow been able to convince the rebels and prevailed upon them to withdraw their nominations, yet what has the party done with regard to the large numbers of angry leaders who are not visible but making secret deals with the rivals to divert BJD votes to make sure that the official candidates get defeatedIJ
The first woman leader to get the axe was former Minister and sitting Hindol MlA Anjali Behera. She was seen loitering at the Naveen Nivas anticipating a party ticket during the preparation of lists of nominees. Being dubbed, a Pyarimohan Mohapatra loyalist, she was not hundred per cent sure of winning Patnaik’s confidence this time and get ticket. But, all the same, since many other Pyari loyalists had no problem in being picked up, she had nourished a hope, which was dashed when she did not get a ticket. Behera, instead of joining her so-called mentor Pyari’s OJM, rather chose to go solo, ignoring the party’s instruction not to do so. This served the last nail for her as Patnaik spared no time to expel her from the party.
The same action was taken against Kusa Apat in Keonjhar and Raghunandan Das in Ersama-Balikuda for daring to flout the party’s diktat.
Keonjhar headed for a bigger challenge to Patnaik for a time after two sitting MlAs Subarna Nayak of Keonjhar and Bhagirathi Sethi from Anadapur filed their tickets as Independents. Given the turmoil in the Champua BJD unit, the party also apprehended that Jitu Patnaik’s group might emerge as a threat and Patnaik might file nomination as Independent. To the great relief of the party, nothing of that sort happened. The smoldering rebellion in the BJD camp in Keonjhar district subsided with the rebels being taken to the negotiation tables and offered lucrative posts in lieu of tickets. But that did not end the BJD trouble. For, no sooner was the Keonjhar fire doused than blew the wind of angst in Jajpur.
The party faced infightings at its Korei, Badachana and Sukinda units, apart from the Jajpur lok Sabha seat. Though Mohan Jena spewed venom against Kalpataru Das for colluding with the State leadership to deny him a party ticket, later he remained silent.
But in the three Assembly constituencies of Korei, Badachana and Sukinda, neither red eyes nor allurements succeeded in making the rebels like Pradip Bal Samant , Pratap Mohanty and Amar Nayak withdraw their nominations as Independents. Pradip is contesting from Sukinda, Amar from Badchana and so is doing Pratap from Korei. Finding no other option, the party supremo expelled the trio.