BHUBANESWAR: All is not well in the State BJP. The simmering discontent came to the fore on Thursday when almost all the senior leaders boycotted the second and concluding day meeting of the State Executive in Cuttack. Senior leaders like BB Harichandan, Bijay Mohapatra, KV Singhdeo, Samir Dey, Manmohan Samal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Surama Padhi and Suresh Pujari were conspicuous by their absence even though former national president of the party Venkaiah Naidu and Balbir Punj, MP, attended. While these leaders are tightlipped on the issue, a party insider said by staying away from the meeting they sent a message to the central leadership that they are not happy with the style of functioning of State president Jual Oram. Sources said the problem with Oram was that he never prefers to consult senior leaders on important issues. He relies on a handful of people who do not have any importance in the party, the sources said. While panchayat election is fast approaching, the party is yet to discuss the issue and prepare strategies. The anxious cadres are in utter confusion in the absence of any direction from the top, said a party MLA on condition of anonymity. Even as the party decided to launch Bhrastachar Hatao Abhijan (anti-corruption movement) against the Naveen Patnaik Government in all the 147 Assembly constituencies, at one point of time some senior leaders felt that the movement had lost the steam and it should be called off. However, Oram did not pay heed to the advice of party leaders. The party has already covered 103 constituencies and the campaign is still on despite the fact that people are busy in agricultural activity and they have hardly any time to attend such rallies, a senior party leader said. Though the party had announced that the State Executive will meet for three days, it was cut short to two. Besides, the party failed to pass the political resolution on the concluding day due to the absence of senior leaders.
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