Digapahandi: Ahead of the panchayat elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Digapahandi Assembly constituency of Ganjam is imploding, leaving the poll prospects of the party candidates in doubt.
The discontentment among party cadres took a new turn Tuesday when many frontline workers resigned from their posts en masse. The disgruntled leaders issued a press statement alleging that the BJP leadership has neglected them in the panchayat elections.
“The candidates for four zilla parishad zones and various panchayats have been selected on the advice of some leaders from outside, without taking us into confidence,” they said.
The BJP leaders who resigned from the party include Suryanarayan Sahu, Manoj Kumar Panda, Subhendu Padhi, Santosh Sahu, Mrutyunjay Panda, Pradip Kumar Das and Pratap Bisoyi.
It was learnt that all of them have sent their resignations to BJP’s state unit president Samir Mohanty, organisation secretary Manas Mohanty, state general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar, state executive body members Bhrugu Buxipatra and Pinki Pradhan.
Political observers said the saffron party’s Digapahandi unit is a divided house as two groups are busy working against each other.
Some local and frontline leaders are complicit in antiparty activities while resignation of many leaders just ahead of the panchayat elections is a pointer to the beginning of BJP’s downfall, they added.
With fissures deepening in the party, more workers in the area are expected to follow the suit in a few days, said sources.
PNN