Rebel BJP Leader To Contest Bijepur Bypoll As Independent Candidate

Bargarh: With the by-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Bargarh district less than a month away, the intra-party feud in the BJP has come to the fore following the announcement by a senior party leader to contest the poll as an independent candidate.

In a press briefing here on Wednesday, member of the BJP state executive member of Scheduled Caste Morcha and Prabhari (in-charge) of Nuapada district Pramod Kumar Chhatar expressed displeasure over the selection of Ashok Panigrahi as the party candidate for Bijepur by-poll.

He also alleged that the party leadership has assigned poll responsibility to the party leaders of other districts while ignoring the senior leaders of Bargarh district.

“As a mark of respect to the senior party leaders and workers of Bargarh district who have been ignored by the party’s top brass, I have decided to contest the by-election as an independent candidate. Those who I had brought to the BJP party fold and with whom I had worked for 7-8 years in Bijepur Assembly constituency will support me,” Chhatar said.

However, no senior BJP leaders are yet to react to his decision, sources said.