Ganjam likely to get more berths in new Naveen team

Bhubaneswar: Ganjam, the home turf of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, is likely to get a sizeable representation in the upcoming reshuffle of council of ministers as the BJD has planned to overhaul its organizational base in the district which has 13 assembly segments.
Considered the stronghold of the party until the last general elections, the ruling BJD seems to be concerned over the increase in vote share of opposition BJP in selected pockets.
Though the BJD had performed well in the panchayat polls in Ganjam, the BJP got a substantial vote share while party-supported candidates also formed the panchayat samiti in Patrapur block. In the civic polls, BJD candidates won the chairperson’s post in 12 out of 18 urban local bodies in the district while it had formed councils in 15 ULBs in 2013-14.
“BJP has increased its vote share in Ganjam not only because of its organizational strength but also for the flaws in BJD’s management. BJD is in a disarray after expulsion of Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy in November 2020, who has influence over party organization in the entire district. Though we have many senior MLAs from Ganjam, all are concerned for their respective constituencies only,” said a senior leader.
Apart from chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who represents Hinjili constituency, the district that used to provide three to four ministers has now only one — Bikram Keshari Arukh, who has more influence in neighbouring Kandhamal than Ganjam.
“To check BJP’s growth in the district and to hold its base ahead of the 2024 general elections, someone should be given responsibility to oversee the organization in the entire district,” the leader said.