Puri: The Puri district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to get its new office-bearers even though the saffron party had appointed a new district president around seven months ago.
The BJP had appointed Ashrit Patnaik as the new district president by replacing Pravanjana Mahapatra December 20, 2019. It was then stated that a youth leader like Patnaik would add more fire power to BJP in Puri district.
However, Patnaik is yet to have his team comprising vice-presidents, general secretaries, secretaries and a treasurer for the party’s district unit. Moreover, the party has failed to appoint heads to its frontal organisations including Mahila Morcha, Yuva Morcha, Adivasi Morcha and Krushak Morcha, sources said.
Many leaders and activists of the party have been lobbying hard to get various posts in the district unit and BJP frontal organisations.
Delay in the appointment of office-bearers for Puri BJP unit has affected party’s organisation in the district. “Many BJP leaders are lobbying for the posts in party’s district unit. However, they are in dark as to when the district unit of BJP will get its office-bearers. Delay in the formation of the new district unit of BJP has dampened the spirit of the grassroots level workers,” said a political observer.
Patnaik, meanwhile, claimed that he has held discussions with the party’s state unit leadership to select office-bearers for Puri unit. “The district unit will be formed soon. We will follow party’s guidelines while selecting the office-bearers,” he said.
It is worth mentioning here that both the candidates fielded by the saffron party had won the 2019 Assembly elections from Puri and Brahmagiri constituencies.