Congress Leader Suresh Routray Denies ‘Openly Supporting’ Son & BJD MP Candidate Manmath

Bhubaneswar: The Congress has issued a show-cause notice to senior leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray for allegedly openly supporting his younger son, Manmath, who is the BJD candidate from Bhbaneswar Lok Sabha seat.

Dismissing the allegations, the Jatni MLA on Wednesday said that he was attending a cricket match in which BJD’s Bhubaneswar-North MLA Sushant Rout was present. “Sushant asked those present to vote for my son and then I asked them to vote for him. It was all in mirth. It was not a party meeting and there were no party symbol. I am a staunch Congressman and will remain in the party till the end of his life,” he said.

He added that he will campaign for Congress in all seats, except Jatni and Bhubaneswar where his sons are contesting, in the upcoming elections.

In a video, which went viral on Tuesday, the 80-year-old veteran can been heard saying that he will not carry the conch symbol but ask people to vote in huge numbers for both Manmath and Sushant.

Divided loyalties are playing havoc in the family with its patriarch watching almost helplessly. Routray, who was elected to the state Assembly six times and served as a minister under J B Patnaik, had earlier announced retirement from electoral politics.

Soon after Manmath joined the BJD and was nominated from Bhubaneswar LS seat on March 27, the senior Routray also resigned from all committees of the party. Though he had asserted that he would not campaign for Manmath, he urged his supporters to put their weight behind him and ensure his win irrespective of the party.

His elder son Siddhartha, who is back in Bhubaneswar after serving a corporate house for more than a decade in the US, has announced to run for the Jatni Assembly seat as an Independent, giving credence to a power struggle within the family. He was expected to join the Congress.