Bureaucrats’ Contest
Bhubaneswar (Surjit Kumar Dhal): Elections are being held at the Bhubaneswar Club of the Rich and Powerful Club of Odisha. Former Chief Secretaries Asit Tripathy and Bijay Patnaik are the two candidates running for the Presidency. The post fell vacant following the death of IAS officer Priyabrata Patnaik. Tuff fights among top bureaucrats. The State’s premier club will get a new president. The nomination was over, the election was stalled. Elections are being held at the state’s most expensive club. The Bhubaneswar club, which has a number of prominent members, is going to have to vote for various posts where two former chief secretaries are in the fray for the presidency.
These two officers were once the most powerful in the power circle. After retiring from the post of Chief Secretary, Asit Tripathi is now the Chief Minister’s Chief Adviser and Chairman of the West Odisha Development Council. It is also said that nothing happens without a direction from Bijay. After retirement, Bijay took charge of Vedanta University. One day, Bijay’s name was at the top of the list of lone loyalists to the chief minister. And now two top officers of the Odisha administrative have come face to face.
Priyabrata Patnaik, a former IAS officer, has been in charge of the club for almost 30 years, no matter who the club’s president was. This post was vacant after his demise. The process began last April to fill other positions also, including the honorary presidency. Along with Bijaya and Asit for the post of chairman, 5 members have filed nomination papers for the post of vice-president, 6 for the Secretary, 3 for the joint secretary and 22 for the members of the executive committee.
According to reports, the club’s committee meeting will be held on Wednesday. The meeting will seek the permission of the state government once the electoral agenda is formally prepared. The Bhubaneswar Club was established on 1949. In 1950, the club appointed King of Khalikot as its first president. Since then, this position was held by head of various royal families and chief ministers. After Biju Patnaik in 1964, IAS Officers captured this post till now. It was once known as the IAS Club, and today the Bhubaneswar Club has been renamed. So let’s wait and see who wins this election.