Bhadrak: The infighting within the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state came to the fore Friday with party leader and former MLA Rajendra Das filing his nomination as an independent candidate for the Dhamnagar bypoll in this district November 3. Rajendra had expressed his displeasure since the day the party had nominated Abanti Das, the chairperson of the Tihidi block as its candidate.
Efforts had been on to placate Rajendra for the last couple of days, since the name of Abanti as the BJD candidate was announced. Initially, Rajendra had also been stating that he would continue to serve the party and also take part in campaigning for Abanti. However, now Rajendra Das has certainly affected BJD’s chances of wresting the seat from the BJP as he has a large following in the Dhamnagar Assembly constituency.
“I took the decision of filing nomination as an independent candidate after having discussion with my supporters,” Rajendra said. “After all their opinion also matters and I have been working very hard for the people of this constituency,” he added. Resentment had brewed among the supporters of the former MLA after announcement of Abanti’s as the party’s candidate. Rajendra was among the frontrunners as the potential nominee of the party for the bypoll.
