BJD’s fight amid violence in Odisha, panic over killings of BJD workers in Digpahandi
News
oi-Jyoti Bhaskar
Less than a year is left for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Deadly violence is expected to escalate between rival groups of BJD at Digapahandi in Odisha’s Ganjam. The fears of the locals are justified as at least six BJD workers from Digpahandi have been killed in the last one year.
Many in Digapahandi fear an escalation of violence during the general elections due early next year. The enmity and violence is being blamed on the blind competition to take over the reins of the BJD in the assembly constituency. This area was once the stronghold of former Speaker and local MLA Surya Narayan Patro.
BJD’s strongman Surya has been battling ill health for the last one year. Taking advantage of his absence, several claimants have emerged to usurp his political legacy. Political pundits say the turmoil is due to Surya’s failure to project his political successor.
Sources said that during the panchayat elections last year, the infighting had taken an ugly turn and several clashes were reported. In the following months, Sudhir Patra (60) and Sudarshan Suar (50) of Palajhadi village, Toofan Gowda (40) of Sahdev Tikrapada, Dabboo Gowda (28) of Nabarangpur village and Pradeep Sahu (23) and Mohan Mohapatra (45) died. Happened in Khamarigaon.
Though the violence is being seen as an outcome of political ambitions, high-ranking officials in the BJD have maintained a stoic silence. Surya’s two sons – Biplab Pradhan and Bipin Pradhan – and other close aides of the senior leader are also in the running for the BJD candidature in the upcoming elections. Apart from this, Kanhu Patra and Rajeev Patra are also interested in ticket from BJD.
Bipin and Biplab, former block presidents of Digpahandi, may not be on good terms, but the siblings claim themselves to be disciplined workers of the BJD. They even claim that they will abide by any decision of the party high command, but in reality both the brothers are busy building their base in the region.
As the race to inherit Surya’s legacy intensifies, political observers feel that the conflict could escalate if the BJD high command does not act to stop the escalating violence. However, BJD’s Ganjam district president Ramesh Chandra Chowpatnaik claimed that there was no factionalism in the party.
Choupatnaik said, our leader is Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who never tolerates indiscipline. There may be differences among the party leaders but everyone has to follow Naveen Babu’s instructions. On the political killings in Digpahandi, he said the matter has already been taken up with the top BJD leaders who are working on a strategy to prevent any bloodshed ahead of the elections.