Paradip: Ever since Damodar Rout was expelled from BJD, he has been losing followers and close aides regularly.
The latest leader to leave the camp of Paradip MLA is Ullash Biswal, who has associated with Dama for the last 30 years.
After resigning from the post of MLA Dama’s Paradip municipality representative Monday, Biswal praised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his clean governance.
Biswal also chose the occasion to take a dig at Rout while referring about his personal and political life.
“Dama babu has been in politics for the last 40 years and I have spent a lion share of it with him. I had been with him for 30 years. Since the Local Self Governance Day, i.e. August 31, a change has been noticed in his way of talking and he has since been indulging in anti-party activities. Speaking nonsense about the Chief Minister, misbehaving with BJD leaders, anti-party activities, hurling abuses at party workers and people of the constituency are the reasons for his expulsion from the party,” he said.
“Dama’s long list of corruption is an open secret. The huge gathering of more than 20,000 people at the women convention organised at Kujang is a clear indication that how people have started distancing themselves from him.
“While his own son and daughter are not with him, how his followers and workers will support him,” he asked.
He said all supporters are leaving Dama because of his ego and ill treatment of workers.
“I had no other way but to resign when I saw the way Dama babu criticised the Chief Minister and the local party workers on the occasion of Ravan Podi Utsav,” Biswal said, adding that he would remain with the party and Paradip workers.
Accusing Dama of using the name of Biju Patnaik for his own advantages in Paradip, Biswal said, “He should introspect before taking a dig at anyone.”
Dama is yet to react to Biswal’s criticism.
PNN