A dispute in the Rourkela BJP unit came to the fore when many leaders occupying prime positions are removed overnight and in support of them some other office-bearers have been raising voices of protest. It was no more a secret that the equation between Rourkela BJP MlA
Dilip Ray and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is not good. The issue came to the fore in January 2016 first when a CBI court summoned Ray on a coal scam.
Though reacting to the court summon, Ray has not taken any one’s name but the way he reacted was understood well. Despite this, everything was fine in the Rourkela BJP as Ray and Union Minster Jual Oram were having good rapport and once upon a time, both were known as anti- Pradhan in the political circle.
But there is a talk in the city that Oram has already shaken hands with Pradhan and consequently, the Rourkela BJP is almost split. The leaders who are seen with Ray are found not attending the programmes of Oram and the vice versa. Even this symptom is also noticed in the Rourkela Steel Plant recognition election campaign.
While Ray has been expressing his unhappiness on the Union Government for regular ignorance to the interests of Rourkela and hailing certain activities of the State Government, it is a longstanding talk that Ray may switch over to the BJD.
While Ray has been keeping himself away from the party activities and functioning in his own style, many of his followers are also acting in the same way.
Though such a hide-and-seek game in the party has been going on here since last many months, but it exploded a couple of days earlier while some aides of Ray were replaced from the post of Mandal president.
They are Ashes Mohanty of Basanti Colony replaced by Nikunja Behari Ray, Ranjit Naik of Rourkela Central by Kedar Mohanty and Akhaya
Parida of Koelnagar by Saroj Das.
Immediately after the declaration of the new Mandal presidents’ list, these three leaders along with party district committee secretary Nirakar lenka and other senior leader Rashid Aslam charge sheeted party Panposh district committee president Jagabandhu Behere. Directly putting allegation on Behera, they said they have been elected to the post and before completion of tenure, the president has no right to remove them from the post without prior intimation.
The Ray followers alleged that in many meetings, they had persuaded Behera to convince the State leaders to talk with the Central leaders and concerned Ministers regarding the second Brahamani Bridge, upgrading IGH to a super specialty hospital and medical college, rehabilitation of slum dwellers who will be evicted for 3rd railway line, establishment of tribal culture centre and other projects which were committed during 2014 election campaign.
But instead of heeding to their genuine proposals, the distrct president has targeted them. Even they allege that due to Ray, Behera got the Assembly ticket and became the district president, but unfortunately he is targeting the Ray camp.
Though party sources reveal that the restructure of all the 19 Mandals were held on the direction and approval of the State leadership, there is no question of bias and undemocratic steps.