Jajpur: Despite Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik’s efforts to keep the flocks together, the ongoing infighting in the regional party seems to be becoming more intense, particularly in Jajpur district.
As per sources, fissures in BJD came to the fore after multiple Jan Sampark Padayatras were reportedly held by different leaders in Jajpur district on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Wednesday.
Rift among BJD leaders appear to be very serious, particularly in Barchana area of the district. Senior BJD leader and former minister Amar Prasad Satpathy, party’s Assembly candidate in the last elections and actress Varsha Priyadarshini and Rajnarayan Mohapatra, son of ex-Minister Sitakant Mohapatra, visited Bayree to garland the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion.
As per sources, Amar Satpathy reached the venue to attend the programme along with his supporters. Similarly, Varsha Priyadarshini attended the event under the leadership of block president and others. She also participated in the padayatra and underlined the need to accelerate BJD’s membership drive.
Besides, Rajnarayan, who had joined BJD after quitting Congress, visited Byree with his supporters separately and participated in the event. It was seen as an exercise to show his strength and political supremacy in the area.