‘Nilgiri’ Tension For BJD In Odisha!

Bhubaneswar: Party hopping that took place in the run up to the recent twin elections in Odisha appears to be showing its impact now. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) may have to pay a heavy price for giving ticket to an imported leader in the Assembly polls. The chairperson of Nilgiri Notified Area Council (NAC) in Balasore district is struggling to save the post. Councillors have brought a no confidence motion against the chairperson. Santosh Khatua, who contested as a BJP candidate after quitting BJD following denial of ticket and won, is set to give a new shape to Nilgiri politics.

Will Santosh Give a Jolt To BJD Again?

Nilgiri Assembly constituency was in the news for party hopping and switching sides during the recent elections. BJD declared Sukanta Nayak as its candidate for the Assembly seat after he quit BJP and joined the regional party. After being denied BJD ticket, Santosh joined BJP and became its candidate for the seat. His victory in the elections was a jolt to the BJD. Now, the no trust motion against the NAC chairperson has come as another jolt to the regional party. Santosh seems to be trying to teach the BJD a lesson for denying him ticket in the recent elections.

No Trust Motion Against Ambika

A no confidence motion has been brought against Nilgiri NAC chairperson Ambika Das by the party councillors. Nine councillors have met the district collector and presented the no confidence motion against the NAC chairperson. Eleven councillors have signed it. Ambika, who has been holding the post for the last two years, has been accused of negligence in duty and adopting a partisan approach towards different wards.

Nilgiri NAC Arithmatic

While BJD won in dight wards, BJP bagged three and Congress and an independent candidate captured one ward each in the urban local bodies (ULB) elections held in 2022. BJD’s Ambika Das won as chairperson. However, Santosh Khatua, who played a significant role in the BJD victory, was denied Assembly ticket by the regional party in the recent elections. Sukanta Nayak, who had won as BJP candidate in 2019 polls, was given party ticket after he joined the BJD. Expressing anger over the party decision, Santosh and other elected members joined the BJP. As a result, the number of seats of BJP increased from three to eleven. After securing majority, BJP is now aims to capture the chairperson’s post. Santosh Khatua, who was ignored by the BJD a few months ago, has now become a major cause of headache for the Naveen Patnaik-led regional party in Nilgiri.