Digapahandi: The political atmosphere in Digpahandi NAC is unstable as elections to semi-urban local bodies in Odisha would be held soon. Infighting in the district unit of the BJD is likely to hamper the party’s prospects in the NAC polls.
A new equation has taken shape in Digapahandi NAC. Some veteran district leaders of the Congress have made all arrangements to join the BJD. The BJD will officially announce their names soon.
Sources said the poor quality of leadership in the party resulted in some prominent leaders of the BJD joining the BJP during Assembly elections.
The BJD was used to winning Digapahandi NAC polls since 2017. But subsequently, due to poor leadership it lost ground in the NAC elections. Although the BJD is struggling to regain its glory, the infighting in the party has weakened it.
Party members have expressed concern over the admission of Congress leaders into the BJD. Some disgruntled members locked up the party office in protest as a result of which the Independence Day was not celebrated at the BJD office this year.
Many members of the party hope to get nomination for the post of Chairman and Vice-Chairman in the NAC. The huge number of hopefuls has become a headache for the BJD.
During the 2013 NAC election, some BJD councillors had campaigned for the Congress and that was the main reason for the infighting in the party. But the dispute among party members were sorted out during the 2019 Assembly elections.
The BJD is now divided into four groups in Digapahandi. It is the local MLA who will select the candidate for Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson positions in the NAC, but it has become very difficult for him to choose the right candidate from among the four groups.
When MLA Surya Naryan Patra (BJD) was asked about this, he denied that there was any infighting in the party. He said if there were any disputes in the party it will be sorted out through talks.
PNN
