Bhubaneswar: Sitting BJD MLA Sunanda Das, whom the party has replaced in Bari Assembly segments, choked back tears while alleging conspiracy behind denial of tickets to her for the upcoming elections in Odisha.
The BJD has fielded five new faces in the six Assembly seats announced on Monday. Besides Sunanda, sitting MLAs of Hindol and Balikuda-Ersama – Seemarani Nayak and Raghunandan Das – faced the axe while sitting Raghunathpali MLA Subrat Tarai was replaced by his wife Archanarekha. The party also nominated Ranjita Marndi, wife of sitting Bangiriposi MLA Sudam Marndi, having fielded the latter from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat.
Sarada Prasanna Jena will contest from Balikuda-Ersama, Biswaranjan Mallick from Bari and Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo from Hindol.
While extended her gratitude to BJD president Naveen Patnaik for giving her an opportunity to serve the people of Bari, Sunanda alleged that people with vested interest succeeded in their conspiracy against her despite a positive survey report and support of samiti members and sarpanchs.
“The samiti members and Sarpanchs had also written a letter extending their support to me. Had the party supremo minutely gone through all the reports, I would have got the party ticket,” she told the media.
The Bari MLA also claimed that was able to increase the vote share of party in the constituency since her victory in 2019 election by a margin of 4,600 votes. “By giving ticket to a person, who uses abusive language and misbehaves with women, the party is going to spoil the peace of Bari. Lord Jagannath will never forgive those who are behind this conspiracy,” said a visibly upset Sunanda.
Biswaranjan Mallick had quit the BJP and joined the regional party in 2021 after losing the 2019 elections to Sunanda by a slender margin of 4,062 votes. He had earlier proved his political mettle too in 2014 election when he took on four-time MLA from Bari and former minister Debasis Nayak, who switched sides from BJD to BJP this February, as an Independent candidate and garnered 52,627 (39.11 per cent) votes against 59,800 (44.44 per cent) votes of the MLA.
Das, on the other hand, said that he was possibly dropped from Balikuda-Ersama following misleading information about his health as he had undergone kidney transplant a year ago. “The party supremo was probably given an impression that an anti-incumbency mood had cropped up in the constituency since I was unwell. I am fit and fine now,” he asserted.
If the people of the constituency decide, a large gathering of supporters may also be organised as seen in Nimapara where Samir Ranjan Dash was denied BJD ticket, he added.
Also Read: After Denial Of BJD Ticket, Raghunandan Says His Supporters May Hold Nimapara Like Rally In Balikuda
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