BJP workers protest Dongargarh Mandal dissolution, meet Raman Singh seeking reinstatement

Hundreds of BJP workers and office-bearers of Dongargarh have demonstrated their dismay because of the dissolution of the party’s Dongargarh Mandal, and met the Speaker of Chhattisgarh Assembly, Dr Raman Singh, and discussed their issues with him.

In the delegation, Dongargarh Mandal president Jasmeet Bannoana, municipal council president Raman Dongre, vice-president and five of the councillors, Mandal office-bearers and party fronts representatives were also a part of the delegation. They arrived at the Speaker House at about 5 PM Sunday and had a meeting with Speaker Raman Singh in which they discussed the matter.

In the meeting, the party workers asked why the Dongargarh Mandal was dissolved when as they saw it, there was no fault on the part of it. They had said five people had been ousted from the BJP after a squab over Dongargarh but said the whole Mandal party was disbanded without consulting or telling the office-bearers.

The delegation called for restoration of the Mandal Dongargarh. The workers are allegedly saying that their decision had reaped envious feelings among this region’s party workers and had called on Raman Singh to intervene in the case.

The delegation conveyed its apprehensions to Raman Singh, who assured them that they would not have anything to worry about. He reportedly promised that he would meet BJP organisational leaders Ajay Jamwal and Pawan Sai to discuss “the issue”.

It was also suggested that a team of 10-15 people from Dongengarh will be present for discussion and present their side to the organisation. Thereafter, it is expected that the leadership of the party will discuss the issue with and make a decision on it.

The days-long internal tussle within the unit of Dongargarh, BJP, and the judicial and social media allegations and counter-allegations followed that led to the dissolution. Eventually five leaders were removed from the party and the Mandal was purged.

The recent meeting suggests that there are increased pressures from local workers to re-think the organisational decision.