Paradip: The expelled BJD leader Damodar Rout had predicted a meagre turnout at the Biju Mahila Samavesh here. However, presence of over 12,000 women at Kujang near Paradip, his home constituency in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur, on Sunday belied his claims and set the alarm bells ringing for him.
According to reports, more than 12,000 women flocked to the meeting venue. While all 10,000 chairs were taken, nearly 5000 women were found standing and some were found seated on the floor.
The meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 11 am, was delayed with more women still arriving at the venue.
Asked about the huge congregation of women at the BJD Samavesh, Dama said that the party had brought these women from other areas of the district through the Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) of Mahakalapada, Patkura and Jagatsinghpur blocks.
“It has now been proved how coward the Chief Minister is. As he was apprehensive of a poor turnout at the meeting, he had asked the party workers to bring more women from other areas of Jagatsinghpur district,” he added.
Meanwhile, a scuffle ensued between the supports of Jagatsinghpur District BJD president Bishnu Das and Tirtol BJD MLA Rajashree Mallick at Tarapur bypass on Sunday. The incident took place when the supporters of Das led by the party’s district observer Prafulla Samal and co-observer Pratap Jena were on the way to Kujang shouting “Rajashree hatao, Tirtol banchao”, and were detained by the supporters of Mallick at the bypass.
Talking to mediapersons, Mallick said the district BJD president is trying to instigate some local leaders of her constituency.
The incident has brought to the fore the intra-party bickering in the BJD in Jagatsinghpur district.
