Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) general secretary Shyam Prasad Behera resigned from primary membership of the party, protesting against bureaucratic control of the party and neglect of Basta assembly constituency, on Wednesday.
He had joined the ruling party ahead of the elections in 2019 after being denied ticket by BJP to contest from Basta. He was named BJD’s general secretary in July 2020.
In his letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Behera expressed displeasure over the “extraordinary influence” wielded by an IAS officer, 5T secretary VK Pandian, in the party. “The MLAs and Ministers, whom people have elected to run the state, can be seen standing with folded hands in front of a bureaucrat. They have been pushed to the background and assigned the task of arranging chairs and rolling out carpets,” he wrote.
He also questioned how a bureaucrat can represent him and his father late Biju Patnaik, who had immense self-respect and believed in interacting directly with people of the state.
Having faith in democracy, Behera said that he is unable to bear this insult.
He further mentioned about lack of development in Basta Assembly constituency. “Ironically, even 75 years after Independence, there is no college at Mahakuma in Basta Sadar. Thousands have been rendered jobless due to closure of Konark Paper Mill and Baliapal Mill. In the absence of employment opportunities, youths of Basta-Baliapal are forced to migrate to neighbouring states in search of work. There is no cold storage at Baliapala and jute farmers are unable to sold their produce at the price fixed by the government,” he said.
Considering these issues, Behera added that he would not like to continue in the BJD.
The 5T secretary has been in the eye of the storm, brewing for past few weeks, with Opposition political parties criticising his whirlwind tours to different districts and announcement of packages.
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