Bhubaneswar: Supporters of Odisha BJP leader Kalu Charan Khandayatray on Saturday created a ruckus outside the state party office in Bhubaneswar opposing any move to nominate Prashant Jagdev as the party’s candidate from Khurda Assembly constituency.
According to sources, at a programme organised recently in Khurda, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi had reportedly said that Jagdev will be the BJP candidate from Khurda. This agitated Khandayatray’s supporters. Later, the video of Sarangi’s speech also became viral in Khurda, Chilika and other areas where Khandayatray has a stronghold.
To show their opposition to Jagdev’s candidature surpassing Khandayatray, who had been the BJP candidate from the constituency in 2019, BJP workers of Khurda Assembly constituency on Saturday gathered in large numbers in front of the state party office and questioned senior leaders about the decision.
The ruckus continued despite efforts made by Prashant Jagdev himself to pacify them. “I am not going to fight elections. Kalu Bhai will fight and we will win,” said Jagdev to the protesters.
The protestors also had an argument with BJP Spokesperson Sonali Sahu.
As the protest continued outside, Khandayatray was in a meeting inside the party office with senior leaders including Sarangi and state party chief Manmohan Samal.
While Khandayatray is a BJP old-timer, Jagdev is the sitting MLA from Chilika. He won the seat on a BJD ticket in 2019 and joined BJP last month after his expulsion from BJD.
It may be mentioned that BJP is yet to declare the names of candidates contesting the Assembly polls in Odisha.
