Mail News Service
Saraikela, Sept 3: Zila Parishad president Shakuntala Mahali resigned from the post of BJP district committee vice president on the ground that with her time being devoted to her responsibilities as Zila Parishad president it would not be possible to do justice to the party�s district committee demands.
But the actual cause of her disgruntlement may lie elsewhere. Although Shakuntala Mahali sent in her resignation to the BJP district and state president citing the reason mentioned above, her bone of contention seems to be more deep rooted. In fact, the moment the names for the district portfolios were announced, senior and dedicated party members finding their names missing from the list expressed their disgruntlement.
After a long interval due to the COVID pandemic situation, the Saraikela- Kharsawan BJP district committee announced the list of portfolios for the posts that included two district general secretaries, five vice presidents, five secretaries along with treasurer, media and social media in-charge and 20 Mandal presidents announced by district president Vijay Mahto on Tuesday. the list was approved by BJP state general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Samir Oraon. Many committed party workers and leaders who had expected to find a place in the district committee returned empty handed. It is being assessed that disappointment, disgruntlement among segments of BJP members may have a negative impact on the party. This came to the fore on Wednesday when Shakuntala Mahali after accepting the post of district vice president resigned from it and issued a press communiqu� to the effect citing the reason as mentioned in this report. She however mentioned that she would continue to give her sincere and unstinted support to the party.
Later, Shakuntala Mahali mentioned that after the BJP candidate�s defeat in the Vidhan Sabha election from the Saraikela seat the former district president Uday Pratap Singhdev had urged the then party state president Laxman Gilua to mark out and oust persons who had engaged in anti party activities during the VS elections. She contended that despite the complaint, Amit Singhdev had been made the Mandal president of Gamharia East. This factor had upset and angered Shakuntala Mahali the Zila Parishad president and wife of BJP candidate for the Saraikela Assembly seat Ganesh Mahali.
It may be mentioned here that 14 BJP party leaders were named for delving into anti party activities during the last Assembly elections leading to the defeat of the party�s candidate Ganesh Mahali. Action was then sought against them by way of removal from the party. Among the 14 named were Anantram Tudu, Basko Besra, Amit Singhdev, Dr Manoj, Vidyasagar Dubey, Rashmi Sahu, Parashar Mahto, Monika Ghosh, Visheshwar Mahto, Durgadas, Sanjay Sardar, Dipak Dogra, Ajit Singh and Shankar Mahto.
In her resignation letter to the district BJP president Shakuntala Mahali has mentioned, �I am pained to note that the those persons who were recommended for being ousted from the party for delving into anti party activities during the last Assembly elections and played active roles in the defeat of party candidate Ganesh Mahali, have found places in the district body�s executive posts distribution. This is a cause of grave concern for the party and hence I am tendering my resignation from the post of district vice president.�