BJD infighting comes to light at a Kantabanji public event

At a public event in Kantabanji on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh, an ex-serviceman running for a party ticket for his wife, publicly confronted party leadership, causing embarrassment in addition to revealing simmering dissent within the party. This exposed internal discord and increased tension within the ranks of the BJD.

The event happened during a BJD-organized “Mishrana Parba” that minister Niranjan Pujari was in charge of. Dignitaries in attendance included leader Ajaya Das, former BJD MLA Ayub Khan, and BJD MP candidate Surendra Singh Bhoi.

But as Singh rushed the stage with his fans and wife in tow, the event took an unexpected turn as he launched into an angry diatribe against the BJD leadership. His outburst exposed the power struggle going on in Kantabanji, a district where there are many candidates vying for the BJD Assembly seat. Among them are Ajaya Das, who won the party’s ticket in 2019 and has since solidified his support base, and Md. Ayub Khan, a two-time MLA. With the chief minister’s declaration of his candidacy from Kantabanji, the situation has become worse in an attempt to stifle internal opposition and win nearby seats.

Das was the BJD’s nominee in 2019, and he received 54,527 votes to finish in third place. However, in the five years that have passed since then, he has developed a solid rapport with the voters. Singh just recently announced his intention to run for office and demanded a ticket for his wife. Things became more complex as a result.

Das, however, is said to have felt duped by the choice. The disagreement was exacerbated by his indifferent approach and the backing provided by Ayub Khan and Giriraj Singh. Tension persisted in spite of top party officials like Saroj Meher and Niranjan Pujari’s involvement. Even Singh voiced his displeasure, accusing the party top of neglecting him and not giving him credit. A few irate Singh supporters questioned, “Is this why the party appointed Singh as general secretary of BJD when he is not given priority at local meetings?”