BHUBANESWAR: Rattled by the opposition to his leadership, BJP State president Jual Oram has sought an explanation from party leaders who boycotted the April 29 meeting of the State executive committee. “Your absence in the meeting created an unpleasant situation for the party and this was not desirable in the interest of the party,” Oram said in a letter to the members who were absent without prior intimation. In his letters to the 24 truants, Oram said he did not subscribe to the media reports that “your absence in the meeting was deliberate.” “You might be in a situation that did not permit you to inform me about your non-availability at the meeting either telephonically or by writing a letter,” he said. However, the media reports have raised questions about discipline in the party. “I will be happy if you explain about absence in the meeting either in writing or personal meeting,” he said. A powerful section of the party comprising leader of the legislature party KV Singhdeo, the sitting MLAs and several formers ministers who were part of the ten-member delegation that met national BJP president Nitin Gadkari in Delhi and made a strong plea for a change of leadership in the State were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting. The other prominent members who boycotted the meeting include former ministers Manmohan Samal, Samir Dey, Surama Padhi, Jayanarayan Mishra, former deputy speaker of the Assembly Ramachandra Panda and former deputy chief whip of the party Mohan Majhi. Taking strong exception to Oram’s letter seeking an explanation, a sitting MLA told this paper that the former should not behave like a boss and the members of the party as government servants. “He (Jual) has no right to seek an explanation about my absence in the meeting,” said a BJP MLA who was out of the State and holidaying with his family. Describing this as a routine affair, Oram said that the normal practice in the party is to know the reason for the absence of any member at the executive committee meeting.
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