Bhubaneswar: The simmering factionalism in BJD, following the resignation of two veteran leaders, on Friday snowballed into a no-confidence motion against Vice-Chairperson of Rayagada Municipality Shubhra Panda.
Of the 24 councillors, 19 submitted the motion against the BJD leader in writing to the District Collector. The majority’s move reflected a lack of confidence in Panda’s leadership.
This came three days after former Rajya Sabha MP N Bhaskar Rao, former minister Lalbihari Himirika and newly-appointed district BJD executive president Gangadhar Puala quit the party, along with hundreds of their supporters, protesting against the appointment of Jagannath Saraka, former Law minister, as the president of the Rayagada district unit.
Panda is known to be a supporter of Sarka and former district BJD president Sudhir Das.
Notably, Rayagada BJD has been plagued by factional feuds between groups led by Rao and Das for nearly a decade.
