Even as Minister Maheswar Mohanty, who is in the midst of controversy over the growing crimes in his constituency of Puri, is yet to be discharged from hospital after the gun attack on him about three weeks ago, there is strong opposition to re-nomination of his BJD candidature for the seat in the ensuing elections.
Surendra Nath Dash has emerged as a prominent contender for the BJD ticket for the Puri seat this time.
Dash, who has been with the party from the very beginning, has gained no less popularity than Mohanty in the constituency. An ardent follower of Biju Patnaik, Das joined the erstwhile Janata Dal as a student leader after winning as SCS College Students’ Union president way back in 1979.
He has never looked back since then and discharged duties perfectly whatever posts and responsibilities were entrusted to him during Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik regimes.
Apart from successfully discharging duty as chairman of PKRIT and PKDA, Puri, Dash has already proved his leadership quality by discharging responsibility as vice president of Puri district unit of the BJD. Besides, he has been associated with many organisations that can be cashed in on by him now.
Recently in a letter to BJD supreme Naveen Patnaik, Dash claimed that he deserved a party ticket for Puri Assembly seat for the ensuing Assembly election.
“As a disciplined soldier of the BJD, I request your honour to give me a chance to prove my popularity under your leadership in the ensuing general election for the Puri MlA constituency. I have the courage and confidence to defeat the muscle power of Congress and other Opposition parties,” he apprised the Chief Minister in the letter.