BJD sets focus on Nabarangpur, targets Pradeep Majhi

With a lot of hard work and riding high on CM Naveen Patnaik’s popularity, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won maximum seats in Nabarangpur-Malkangiri belt in 2014 polls. Even, Pradeep Majhi suffered a shock defeat in Lok Sabha polls to a political novice like Balabhadra Majhi. The Congress was down and out in this tribal belt.

However, Pradeep did not give in and shot into limelight again by playing the ‘tribal’ or ‘adivasi’ card. Pradeep Majhi rattled and unsettled the government by doing recent agitation over Forest Rights Act (FRA), demanding land patta for tribals, leading the attack on forest office in Raighar, subsequent arrest and launching a six-day hunger strike inside Umerkote jail.

In a desperate bid to checkmate Pradeep’s march and silence him, his family was dragged into chit fund fire. Although it’s crystal clear that they did maize business with Seashore Group like all others and never acted as chit fund agents in the area, some vested interests have launched a tirade against them.

Different angles are being attached to this case to tighten the noose around Pradeep and his family. But, will it work? If the government fails to prove any charges, then their campaign would backfire and Pradeep would aggressively use the tribal card to project himself a martyr and derive political mileage from this controversy.

Earlier, the government asked all departments to accelerate all-round development of Nabarangpur district with the CM taking special interest. It clearly shows that the government is nervous and does not want to leave any stones unturned to make its presence felt in the district.