Divide in BJD over ‘running’ of admin

Bhubaneswar: Perhaps, all is not well in the ruling BJD in Odisha now. A few developments that took place in the past few days in the regional party prove that strong resentment is brewing among a section of party leaders against CM Naveen Patnaik for allegedly “relying” heavily on “a junior bureaucrat” to run the administration.

At least three senior BJD leaders — Kendrapara Lok Sabha member Baijayant Panda, former MLA Rama Ranjan Baliarsingh and sacked agriculture minister Damodar Rout — have indirectly criticised the CM for “allowing” the “junior bureaucrat” to “indulge” in party affairs and “control” the “democratically elected legislators.”

Although the three leaders have not named the bureaucrat influencing the CM’s activities, they have dropped loud hints about him by mentioning that the “non-Odia” and “Tamilian” officer has been at the helm of BJD affairs after Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a former bureaucrat who previously acted as Naveen’s “advisor”.

The chief minister’s office has one non-Odia IAS officer — private secretary V.K. Pandian, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer hailing from Tamil Nadu. Former Rama Rama Ranjan Baliarsingh, who resigned from the party on Friday, said the “Tamilian” IAS officer was controlling the BJD party affairs and Mr Patnaik was a “puppet” in his hand.