Internal bickering in Naveen Patnaik's party deepens

CUTTACK: Denial of party ticket to veteran BJD leader Kalindi Behera and shifting of his son Chandra Sarathi Behera from Salipur assembly constituency to Cuttack-Sadar have irked party workers in the area. Even Chandra Sarathi Behera has expressed his dissatisfaction over it.
"I am feeling homeless now. For the last five years, I have worked hard in my constituency to create my base and win the hearts of people.Suddenly, I have been shifted from Salipur to Cuttack-Sadar," said Chandra Sarathi, sitting MLA of Salipur. "Though my father was MLA of Cuttack-Sadar, I have no base in the constituency. The constituency and its people are completely new for me. The party workers are equally sad about it," added Chandra Sarathi. BJD has fielded Prasanta Behera, son of former MLA Dharamanand Behera, from Salipur.
Chandra Sarathi has cited that he will raise his objection before BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik. "I will meet him soon and appeal him to reconsider his decision," he said. Salipur is considered the stronghold of Beheras. Seventy-year- old Kalindi had won from Salipur four times. In 2009, he had vacated the seat for his son and had shifted base to Cuttack Sadar constituency.
Party insiders claimed that tough battle lies ahead for Prasanta as he will have to face stiff opposition from party workers. "Kalindi was very keen to contest, but was not given a ticket. The shifting of Behera junior to Sadar constituency has irked their loyalists further, so they will vehemently oppose Prasanta," said a senior party leader.
Local leaders have claimed that everything is well within the party. "The decision regarding candidate's nomination has been taken by our supremo and nobody can challenge it," said working president of BJD, Cuttack unit, Prafulla Singh.