Rout vents vitriol against second power centre

BHUBANESWAR: Former minister Damodar Rout on Saturday renewed his tirade against the second power centre in the BJD likening it to cancer in a regional political party.Reacting to reports that he has made a secret understanding with the powers-that- be in the BJD to escape disciplinary action for his outbursts against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra, Rout said such a possibility did not arise .‘’My silence should not be misconstrued,’’ he said.Rout, however, said he had never accepted the second power centre in BJD nor will do so in future. All types of corruption, nepotism and anti-people actions emanated from the second power centre, he said.The senior BJD MLA, who was dropped from the ministry on May 10 during Cabinet reshuffle by Naveen, said so far neither the Chief Minister has announced that he is the only power centre in the party nor the so called second power centre has denied it.The former minister said during his long political career nobody raised a finger on his efficiency as a minister.Stating that he did not accumulate property taking advantage of his position, Rout said he never uttered a word against his leader Naveen Patnaik.‘’Cabinet formation is the prerogative of the chief minister,’’ Rout said and added he never tried to question the constitutional arrangement in this regard.After the Cabinet reshuffle, Rout had started questioning the basis on which the ministers were dropped and new ones inducted. He had described Mohapatra as the real power centre and Naveen only as the executing authority.Another BJD MLA and former minister Debasis Nayak also questioned the lack of democracy in the party and raised questions about the large number of scams. Naveen suspended Nayak from the party on May 29.