Sourabha Kumar Parida
Bhubaneswar, June 29: After suffering a shock defeat in both Assembly and General elections, now party infighting has come to fore in BJD.
The brewing discontent has come to fore in Bhawanipatna Municipality in Kalahandi district. Though eighteen councillors out of 20 belong to BJD, all the 20 councillors have brought no-confidence motion against chairperson Sanjukta Behera.
The party infighting was brewing since BJD announced Sanjukta Behera as candidate for the civiic body's chairperson. Though several BJD leaders were opposing her, they were keeping mum obeying the decision of the party supremo. After the poll debale, all the 18 councillors of BJD have started opposing Behera openly.
Similarly, the party infighting has come to fore in Kendrapara Municipality also, where all the 21 councillors are of BJD. The brewing discontent against chairperson Sarita Sahoo was visible in the recent municipality gathering meeting called by MLA Ganeswar Behera as eight party councillors were conspicous by absence. The disgrunted party councillors have joined hands openly since Raja Sankrati.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) standing committee meeting witnessed a fight between BJD corporators. Even, some party councillors did not go to meet party supremo Naveen Patnaik along with mayor Sulochana Das. The power tussle between former MLA Ashok Chandra Panda and corporator Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar has come to public discussions. On the otherhand, the dispute between former mayor and Bhubaneswar-Central MLA Ananta Narayan Jena and corporator Amaresh Jena is a long standing issue in Bhubaneswar BJD.
Some corporators of Cuttack Municipal Corporation are openly challenging the mayor while a group of BJD councillors have started opposing Balasore Municuipality chairperson.
