Bhubaneswar, April 19: BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik seems to be unhappy on the issue of a “second power centre” in the party and that a section of party leaders are tacitly supporting the theory.

For the last one year, resentment has allegedly been brewing among the leaders on the issue of a “second power centre”. Many BJD leaders have also openly expressed their views on it, leading to disturbances in the functioning of the party.

Even at a state-level event to mark the 15th death anniversary of Biju Patnaik at the BJD headquarters here on April 17, many BJD leaders had openly expressed their resentment against the so-called “second power centre” in the party.

After returning from Delhi today, the chief minister tried to clear the air saying that there was no indiscipline in the party and that every member of the party was committed to serve the poor and the tribal people of Odisha.

Naveen said: “With the blessings of the people of Odisha, the BJD has been trying to serve the poor, the tribal people, the people mentioned under the list of the scheduled castes and all other downtrodden persons over the last 12 years. The people have blessed the party. The entire party is committed to follow the policy of serving the poor.”

However, Naveen refrained from making any direct reference to the ongoing verbal duel between two stalwarts of the party — Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra and former agriculture minister Damodar Rout.

At the state-level event to commemorate Biju Patnaik’s death anniversary on April 17 at the party office here, Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Debasis Samantray had stirred a hornets’ nest by stating that the party had only one leader.

“There is no second leader in the party. All should back him (Naveen) and no other leader in the party,” he said at the event. Making an emphatic statement on Naveen being the only leader in the party, former agriculture minister Damodar Rout, who is known for his gift of the gab, had said: “Naveen babu is the only leader of the party. There is no place for flattery. Like other workers, (Pyari Mohan) Mohapatra is also a worker in the party.” Rout further said that all workers should work with a sense of self-respect and dignity. Mohapatra, however, was conspicuous by his absence at the event.

Last Monday, both Rout and Mohapatra had engaged in a verbal duel. Rout had criticised Mohapatra for trying to take all the credit for the party’s achievements. He had said: “All credit for the party’s achievement should go to the leader.”

On the other hand, Mohapatra had said: “The party is going well and smoothly. All credit has gone to the leader. However, I (also) did a lot for the party.”