Bhubaneswar: Kendrapara BJD district unit president Dhruba Sahoo on Friday accused Kendrapara party MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda of "encouraging dissident activities in every Assembly segment in the district" and trying to "motivate BJD followers to vote for BJP" in the last panchayat elections.
In a two-page note to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Sahoo also accused him of instigating front-level party workers to join the BJP.
He said Panda ignored party workers and unfairly distributed his MPLAD funds. He also accused him of being involved in anti-party activities. He alleged that the MP did not attend party meetings and programmes at the district level.
Undeterred by the accusations of Sahoo, Panda on Friday stepped up his attack on the chief minister's office and termed as "farcical " the ongoing campaign against him. He said it was an orchestrated campaign conducted by a powerful bureaucrat who is trying to control the BJD.
In a social networking site, Panda wrote: "These poor guys (those seeking action against him) are under immense pressure, getting calls from officials in CM's office that they will lose their party posts and not get tickets in future if they displease the babu-politician who is now controlling things. Of course, a serving bureaucrat being actively involved in politics is *strictly* forbidden in the service code. I don't think this chap particularly cares about law and rules, but sooner or later karma has a way of catching up with your misdeeds."
He also posted photographs showing the local leaders taking part in his programmes in his constituency.
Panda said: "But what I'm terribly anguished about is that my leader, who I have assisted, admired & supported for more than two decades, does not seem to be aware of this conspiracy ??"
Today a group of party leaders and workers from Rajnagar and Pattamundai, part of Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency, met Naveen and alleged that Panda was neglecting party workers.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said he would ask party observer for Kendrapara Pramila Mallick to look into their complaints.
Mallick, who is already looking into the matter, on Friday said she had not been able to contact Panda despite her best efforts. She said: "Every time, his staff asked me to call later."
Panda denied the charge on the social networking site and said: "That's simply not true! She'd called my home last night when I was out. I called her back this morning & spoke to her shortly after 9am (my asst Wilson connected from landline to her mobile). I asked her to give me in writing the allegations against me & I'd respond. She agreed."
