There seems to be a rift in the Champua BJD unit. While MLA Meenakshi Mahanta looks is on one side and the rest of the BJD leaders in Keonjhar district are on the other. This has come to fore in a social gathering held recently in the residence of former Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud at Nameera village under Joda block.
Dukhabandhu Mahakud, the elder brother of Sanatan, had breathed his last November 6 and on November 16, the 11th day Shradha Karma was being organised.
Many people from across the district including leaders cutting across party line had attended the function.
BJD leaders like former Minister and MLA,Ghasipura, Badrinarayan Patra, Keonjhar MP Chandrayani Murmu, Patna MLA Jagannath Naik, Sadar BJP MLA Mohan Majhi, district BJD president Keonjhar Madhab Sardar, former BJD president Ashish Chakraborty, district BJD vice president Kusha Apat, apart from local leaders from Keonjhar town, Champua, Joda, Barbil, Telkoi and Anandapur were present.
However, MLA Mahanta, a native of the same village residing just 500 mtrs distance from the programme was absent.
Sources further revealed that Mahakud who was the Independent MLA of Champua from 2014 to 2019 didn't contest the next election for certain reasons and proposed the name of Mahanta, wife of his close aide, to contest the election on BJD ticket and it was due to his blessing Mahanta became MLA by winning in a large number of votes. But soon after the election, dispute started between the two over mining business.
Previously, Mahakud had formed different transporting co- operative societies and the Mining Area Truck Owners Association ( MATOA) to help the local people but after Mahanta was elected MLA , Bhakta Mahanta, husband of Meenakshi, started monopolising transporting business and engaged his own men everywhere. It is said that there are 16 transporting licences in the name of relatives of Bhakta who have a lion's share in the transporting business in the Joda- Barbil mining region but other local people have been ignored.
When asked to know his views regarding the absence of Mahanta, Mahakud said that he had invited her like all others.