Kujang: BJD Sunday organised a grand ‘Mahila Samavesh’ here under Paradip constituency in Jagatsinghpur district. This was the first such convention after the expulsion of Paradip MLA Damodar Rout from the party.
More than 12, 000 women from many panchayats of Tirtol constituency, Kujang and Paradip area participated in the convention. While all 10,000 chairs were taken, nearly 5,000 women were found standing and some were found seated on the floor, a report said.
While MP Kulamani Samal was the chief coordinator of this ‘samavesh’, ministers Prafulla Samal, Pratap Jena, Snehangini Chhuria, BJD district working president and Balikuda MLA Prashant Muduli, Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick and party’s women wing leader Pramila Mallick attended the meeting.
The meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 11 am, was delayed with more women still arriving at the venue.
The speakers were of the view that the development projects in Kujang and Paradip has been adversely affected thanks to MLA Rout.
On the other hand, when asked about the huge congregation of women at the Samavesh, Dama, said the party had brought these women from other areas of the district through the Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) of Mahakalapara, Patkura and Jagatsinghpur blocks.
“It only shows the lack of confidence of the Chief Minister. As he was apprehensive of a poor turnout at the meeting, he had asked the party workers to bring more women from other areas of the district,” he added.
Meanwhile, a scuffle ensued between the supporters of Jagatsinghpur District BJD president Bishnu Das and Tirtol BJD MLA Rajashree Mallick at Tarapur bypass Sunday.
The incident took place when the supporters of Das led by the party’s district observer Prafulla Samal and co-observer Pratap Jena were on the way to Kujang shouting “Rajashree hatao, Tirtol banchao”, and were detained by the supporters of Mallick at the bypass.
Talking to media, Mallick said the district BJD president is trying to instigate some local leaders of her constituency. The incident has brought to the fore the intra-party bickering in the BJD in Jagatsinghpur district.
BJD party members demanded a medical college and super specialty hospital in Paradip. They also demanded Paradip to be declared as a police district and Kujang be accorded NAC status.
PNN
