Berhampur: The internal rift among BJD corporators in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has been widening despite repeated calls for unity from party supremo and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The discord was evident during Wednesday’s corporation meeting, which was disrupted due to unruly behaviour of a faction, forcing an abrupt adjournment.
Meanwhile, in response, BeMC Mayor Sanghamitra Dalai, Deputy Mayor E Vivek Reddy, and 20 corporators visited the District Collector at his residential office in Chhatrapur Thursday. They submitted a memorandum requesting strict legal action against corporators responsible for disrupting the meeting. According to the memorandum, during Wednesday’s corporation meeting at the BeMC office, the corporator of Ward 26 allegedly used abusive language and misbehaved with the Commissioner and staff.
Additionally, the corporator, along with a few others, locked the BeMC campus gate, preventing access for the general public. This disruption hindered operations of the municipal office. Notably, the Commissioner had already written to the District Collector, the state Home and Urban Development department, and the Municipal Director, urging action against the Ward 26 corporator for misconduct. Mayor Dalai, Deputy Mayor Reddy, and 20 corporators reiterated their demand by submitting the memorandum during their meeting with the District Collector.
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Among BeMC’s 36 BJD corporators, a majority reportedly align with former MLA Bikram Panda, while another faction is said to support Mayor Sanghamitra Dalai and district BJD President Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik. The feud, ongoing for the past three months, stems from disagreement over organisational responsibilities within the Berhampur Assembly constituency and is intensifying with each passing day. Following the disruptions in the corporation meeting, the party’s district unit president Chyau Patnaik informed the former chief minister about the situation, urging action against those causing disorder.
Notably, corporators from both factions had December 18 visited Naveen Nivas, where Patnaik had emphasised unity and organisational discipline. However, the continued infighting suggests his directives have been largely ignored. Supporters of the mayor’s faction question why Bikram Panda, who lost the last election as BJD’s candidate from Gopalpur, continues to wield influence in Berhampur politics. Nevertheless, Panda reportedly retains the support of a majority of BJD corporators. Former Union Minister and senior BJD leader Chandrasekhar Sahu remarked that ensuring smooth governance is the mayor’s responsibility, adding that she has failed to maintain control over the corporators. Meanwhile, BJD Corporator Surendra Maharana warned that if the crisis escalates further, the present state government might consider dissolving the municipal corporation, necessitating immediate intervention from the party’s top leadership.