Baidyanathpur While the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced the district presidents for 18 organizational districts including Baipariguda, the party is yet to decide on the district presidents for another 15 districts. Although names have been finalized for Malkangiri and Nabarangpur, the selection of the Koraput BJD district president remains a matter of intense deliberation among state-level leaders.
Koraput has long been a Congress stronghold, but veteran leaders like former ministers Jayaram Pangi and Ravi Narayan Nanda played key roles in turning it into a BJD stronghold. Jayaram Pangi served as the district president for several years, strengthening the party organization and helping the BJD secure victories in four Zilla Parishad zones and with MLAs. However, since 2017, he has distanced himself from the party.
After Pangi, tribal face Jhinu Hikaka was given charge as district president. However, in a surprise move, the party later appointed Ishwar Panigrahi as the district president. Now, just before the general elections, Jhinu Hikaka is once again back in charge.
For the past 24 years, the BJD was in power, and party programs continued smoothly. But now, with BJD no longer in government and acting as the opposition, the party failed to win even a single seat among the five assembly segments and one Lok Sabha constituency in Koraput during the recent general elections. The organizational structure in the district is visibly weak. With panchayat elections ahead, there’s growing internal tension.
At present, a fierce contest is underway over who will be made the next Koraput district president to rebuild the local organization. The defeat of five MLAs has intensified the debate. Currently, former district presidents Jhinu Hikaka and Ishwar Panigrahi are both hopefuls for the post. Another strong contender is former minister Ravi Narayan Nanda, who never eyed the district president position when the BJD was in power, but is now expressing interest.
Amidst the speculation, supporters of former Kotpad MLA Padmani Dian are pushing for her nomination as district president, citing her as a suitable tribal woman leader. Meanwhile, Ravi Nanda’s supporters argue that he should now be given a chance since both Jhinu and Ishwar have already held the post.
Supporters of Ishwar Panigrahi are also campaigning for his reappointment, stating that under his leadership the party won four MLA seats. On the other hand, supporters of Jhinu Hikaka are calling for a tribal youth to lead once more. Some supporters have even launched a signature campaign to press for Padmani Dian’s appointment as a tribal woman representative.
With multiple hopefuls and growing internal rifts, it is now a tough challenge for the state leadership to choose one while keeping others in check. As the seat of district president remains vacant, mental churning continues, and it’s expected that the final decision for Koraput district president will be made at the very last moment. Now, all eyes are on whom BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik will trust to shoulder the organizational responsibility for Koraput.