Turncoats Feel ‘Ignored’ In Odisha BJP

Bhubaneswar: After veteran politician Damodar Rout, senior leader from Bargarh Ashok Panigrahi has accused his parent party, BJP, of neglecting him.

He is reportedly aggrieved over the party’s decision to field Sanath Gartia for Bijepur bypoll slated for October 21.

Panigrahi had won 2000 general elections from Bijepur assembly segment on BJP ticket. He later joined the ruling BJD. He left the regional party in 2014 after being denied ticket to contest the election and returned to the saffron party during Bijepur bypoll in 2018. He contested the bypoll but lost to BJD candidate Rita Sahu.

The BJP ignored him during 2019 elections and reposed faith in Gartia even for the bypoll.

The cry of neglect is being construed by people in the political circle as a step towards quitting the saffron party.

The leader from Bargarh, however, dismissed it as mere speculation.

Notably, a section of media had reported that Panigrahi was upset after being ignored in the party and held a meeting to take a decision on his future.

“I have been quoted out of context. I will continue with BJP and take up any responsibility assigned to me,” he said.

The BJP leaders said that he and his supporter had campaigned for the party during the last elections and do so this time too if asked by the party leadership.

Dama too had expressed resentment at being ignored by the BJP. “The BJP leaders, who had invited me to join the party before the Assembly elections, have ignored me after the elections,” he said, adding that he got to know about BJP candidate nomination for Bijepur byelection from the media.

Notably, Dama had joined the BJP in March ahead of the Assembly Elections in the state after being expelled from the BJD in September, last year.