The Hindu : Front Page : Political activity peaks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Political activity peaks

Prafulla Das

Sequel to merger of OGP, JD(S) with NCP

BHUBANESWAR: Political climate in the State appears to be getting hotter by the day with formation and merger of parties, and roping in of leaders and workers from other parties. Close on the heels of welcoming workers and youth leaders from different parties on July 22 and September 23, the BJD inducted two prominent leaders of Nowrangpur district into its fold on Wednesday.

BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flew down to Umerkote block headquarters town in Nowrangpur to attend a public meeting organised to induct the two leaders -- Jayadev Parida and Jagabandhu Majhi. Mr. Parida, president of Sangram Manch, had fought the 2004 Assembly polls from Nowrangpur constituency on the BJP ticket. Mr. Majhi, an active tribal leader, was heading the Dalit Manch in the area.

Agriculture Minister Surendranath Nayak, Energy Minister Suryanarayan Patro and Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera who belonged to the BJD also joined Mr. Patnaik in the show.

Induction drama

Mr. Patnaik and his colleagues virtually used the forum as an election meeting. While those who joined the party promised to take the message of the BJD to every household in the region, the Chief Minister and his colleagues spoke about the pro-tribal programmes of the government in detail.

Soon after the leaders of the OGP and the State unit of the Janata Dal(S) announced their plan to merge with the NCP on September 24, the ruling party organised the second induction drama by welcoming a large number of workers from the OGP, the JD(S) and the Congress.

According to political observers, BJD had started worrying over the merger of the OGP and the JD(S) with NCP as the Chief Minister’s bitter critic Bijay Mohapatra was leading the NCP charge.

The new party to come into being was Samruddha Odisha, headed by a former IAS officer. Another prominent NGO leader has announced plan to launch a new party.

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