The high profile BJD MP Baijayant Panda who has been suspended from the party, on Thursday inaugurated a multi-purpose auditorium constructed with his MPLAD near the district headquarters township and was evidently ‘soft’ as he refrained from criticising the CMO.

Panda’s supporters had galvanised an impressive crowd at the auditorium venue at Guhalsingh locality. Panda marched to the venue with supporters following him in a bike rally. Significantly, the chopper-hopping MP in his brief speech did not criticise the CM’s Office nor did he utter his normal charge that the party was infiltrated by goons.

“I am thankful of peoples’ support. I am happy that no disturbance has occurred in on Thursday’s meeting as it has been the case in recent past. The multi-purpose auditorium will be of use for people in Kendrapara. As an MP, development of Kendrapara stays on the top of my agenda”, he said. To thwart possible disturbances from BJD workers, security had been stepped up in the township.

“Adequate police arrangement had been made right from the helipad where MP landed to the venue. No untoward incident occurred during the course of MP’s visit”, said Rajib Lochan Panda, Sub Divisional Police Officer. “Panda is trying to galvanise public support and sympathy in the wake of disciplinary action on him. However BJD popular base here is still intact”, said a senior BJD leader of Kendrapara municipality requesting not to be named.

However his corporate style of functioning proved to be his undoing. He interacted with common people during constituency visit, but did not do so with party workers. He depended on his own representatives and staff while implementing MPLADS scheme, noted a BJD worker. A section of people on the grass-root however differed. “He had visited our village.

We had told him about drinking water problem. He had done the needful for water project in the village from MP grants. He is different from other MPs who had represented Kendrapara LS seat in the past”, said Prafulla Samal, a local from Mangalpur village.

It may be noted here that Panda has been isolated and marginalised by BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik over the last four years. Panda, in turn , has been blaming a bureaucrat posted in the CMO for all the problems. His accusations against the bureaucrat continued even after CM Naveen Patnaik asserted that he was in charge and in full command of all matters.

Detractors of Panda noted that he lacks the courage to blame Patnaik , hence, he is targeting a IAS officer. Does he not know that the officer is acting only on the instructions of the CM , ask Panda’s critics in the BJD. Is Panda saying that the CM is weak and incompetent or that he has abdicated his responsibilities to a bureaucrat, they chided.