By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/AUL: The 4th times BJD MLA from Aul Assembly segment in Odisha’s politically sensitive districts of Kendrapara and former Minister Pratap Keshari Deb was on Friday appointed as ruling Party’s Returing Officer.
Besides, Deb, the BJD boss and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also appointed Party’s MLA from Jajpur district Pranab Prakash Das (Bobby) as Party’s General Secretary( Organisation) while former MLA from Brahamgiri, Sanjay Dasburma will take as charge as Party’s General Secretary (Headquarters’).
With Pratap Deb’s appointment as RO, besides also he is working as Party’s Spokesperson, speculations also rife that chances looks grim for his Ministerial ambition in near future.
As Deb had won the last Assembly polls by a huge margin setting a record in the Aul Assembly segment’s political history, his supporters were confident about a berth for him but it seems, Naveen Patnaik buying time as apart from Deb, Mahakalpada MLA Atanu Nayak and Kendrapara town MLA Sashi Behera are too looking for a berth in the Cabinet.
“The tussle between Deb, Nayak and Behera forcing Naveen Patnaik to keep Kendrapara out from his Cabinet,” added a Journalist based in Bhubaneswar.
Earlier during the third term of Naveen Patnaik, Deb had served in the Cabinet as Minister of State (Independent) while Nayak and Behera served in 2nd and 4th terms of Naveen.
