Damodar Rout blames anti-Posco lobby

BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJD leader Damodar Rout, courting one controversy after another for his serial outbursts against party leadership, is likely to face disciplinary action. On Sunday, he once again took it out on the anti-Posco lobby in the party that, he claimed, was behind his fall from grace.His statement describing Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra as the real power centre and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as the executing authority has given a new twist to politics in the regional party.Soon after he was dropped from the ministry 11 days back, Rout had alleged that he lost the post because of his pro- Posco stand. He alleged the anti-Posco lobby in the party, that conspired to drop him, is close to the CPI.From the beginning, CPI is opposed to the Posco project. However, as per the seat arrangement made for the 2009 Lok Sabha election, the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat was given to CPI by the BJD bosses. Cashing on the anti-Posco sentiment, the CPI had also won the seat.Rout’s outburst against Naveen and Mohapatra is a new thing in the BJD as no other leader in the recent past openly attacked these two leaders on any matter. The former minister has tried to link Mohapatra with the anti-Posco lobby.Sources said though no leader of any consequence has come out openly in support of Rout after he was dropped from the ministry, there are many disgruntled elements who are encouraging the former minister from behind the scene.On the flip side, barring Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy, no one has come out openly in support of Naveen either. Maharathy, who was recently inducted into the ministry, had on Saturday challenged Rout to resign and contest elections as an Independent.Rout was, however, not available for comment. Two BJD MLAs - former minister Bishnu Das and Rabindranath Bhoi - have demanded Rout’s removal as vice-president of the BJD.A senior BJD leader told this paper that disciplinary action against Rout is likely soon. Though Mohapatra has not reacted so far, Naveen had said the matter was being looked into.