Testing ground for BJD, BJP

ROURKELA: The BJD led by Urban Development Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak seems to be making the Bonai sub-division a testing ground for the Khandadhar mining issue in the ensuing Sundargarh Zilla Parishad poll.  Sources said good show by the ruling BJD is likely to give an impetus to Posco’s mining rights. The State Government has earlier recommended to the Centre for grant of prospective licence in favour of Posco over an area of 2,500 hectares of Khandadhar mines in 2009. The sub-division accounts for eight seats in the 35-member ZP council. The BJD has two seats in the sub-division.Party insiders say the local BJD leaders are over optimistic to make a clean sweep. Bonai is also the home town of State BJP chief Jual Oram who kick-started his political career in 1990 as Bonai BJP legislator. Nayak and his party have high stakes in the poll. They are aiming to push for iron ore mining along the Khandadhar waterfall in the sub-division.BJD’s confidence seems to be drawn from the vertical split in the BJP after Jual’s trusted MLA Bhimsen Choudhary “betrayed” him last year in the Rajya Sabha poll.After the poll, Choudhury was suspended  for violation of party whip. However, Choudhury said that though he was aware of the disciplinary action against him for violation of the whip, he was not in favour of casting vote to the Congress-supported independent.Another BJP MLA Dayanidhi Kisan was also suspended for indulging in anti-party activities. With Kisan having a support base of around 18,000 votes in Bonai, he is also being seen as another confidence booster for the BJD.But Jual has shown no signs of offering olive branch to Bhimsen, though the latter’s supporters are undecided on whom to support.After Jual lost the last Parliamentary election, this poll would be a test for BJP’s popularity in the changed political scenario.