Rift in Odisha’s ruling party; members complain against Tirtol MLA

Ayaskant Das Published On : Apr 3, 2016 at 3:17 PM Updated On : Apr 3, 2016 at 3:28 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 3:

The intra-party squabbles in the Jagatsinghpur unit of Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) came to the fore as over a dozen members today met party supremo Naveen Patnaik to register their grievances against Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick for being allegedly involved in anti-party activities.

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The complainants, including eight Zilla Parishad (ZP) members and three block chairmen, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence Naveen Niwas here this morning.

“Our MLA Rajashree Mallick has ignored the party workers and representatives at grass roots level which is creating a division in the Biju Janata Dal. She is having links with D-brothers. Besides, she is doing politics with the help of a liquor mafia from Biridi called Chicken Babu and a Tirtol-based mafia Litu Mohapatra,” Rajat Patra, Raghunathpur block chairman said.

The BJD members alleged that Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick is weakening the party organisation in the district and indulging in anti-party activities.

“The party organisation is on the verge of collapse. When the mandate is in favour of Naveen Patnaik government, the MLA is going to attend panchayat-level programmes with five platoons of police force. This is unfortunate. Are all the Zilla Parishad members and three block chairmen bad,” questioned Sarojkanta Swain, Raghunathpur Zilla Parishad member.

Reacting to this, the woman legislator refuted the allegations and said that it is up to the people of the constituency to decide.

“People have rejected them for their involvement in corruption. They have lost opportunity to be closer to people. Disheartened by this, they have gone to Naveen Niwas. They had threatened me that the will be joining BJP. I don’t know whether they are in BJD or BJP,” Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick expressed.

Joining the melee, BJD district president Bishnu Charan Das claimed the MLA’s link with persons with criminal antecedents.

“She is having links with notorious criminal and liquor mafia Raas Bihari Das alias Chicken Babu who quit Congress and joined BJD. Her husband acted as a frontman for Dhalsamanta brothers for tender fixing,” Bishnu Charan Das alleged.

Senior BJD leader, Excise and Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout termed the development as handiwork of district president Bishnu Charan Das.

“Bishnu has lost political ground in Jagatsinghpur. He wants to defame Rajashree and consolidate his position so that he would get ticket from Tirtol in the coming election,” said senior BJD leader, Excise and Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout.