BJP to go it alone in coming elections: Dharmendra Pradhan

Any tie-up with BJD ruled out

BERHAMPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party would never think of alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the State, said party national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan.

Speaking to newsmen during his visit to the city on Sunday to deliver a talk on ‘good governance’, which was organised by ‘Brahmapur Intellectual Forum’, Mr. Pradhan said the BJP started preparations to fight it alone in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the State. He claimed that strength of the BJP was on the rise in the State.

It may be noted that till the polls in 2009, the BJP and the BJD were partners in the State. Mr. Pradhan said the new State president of the party, who would replace Juel Oram, would surely be a person who could lead the party in the elections scheduled to be held in 2014. But he refused to name anyone for the post. It may be noted that as per reports inner tussle continued in the State BJP regarding choice of next State president of the party.

 He claimed that there was no inner tussle in the party. He avoided questions related to prospective candidates for the post of next State president of the BJP, saying it was internal matter of the party not to be discussed in public. When asked whether the next State president would be elected or selected, Mr. Pradhan said he would be a man accepted by all. “Ours is a cadre-based party so every decision is a collective decision,” he said.

Mr. Pradhan was in charge of the Karnataka BJP. So, when asked about the division of the party, including its legislative party in Karnataka, he said Karnataka incident was an isolated happening and it would have little effect on the rising clout of the BJP in national politics. “The incidents in Karnataka surely did not have any impact on Gujarat elections,” he added. Source: The Hindu 

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to inaugurate MKCG Medical College golden jubilee

Preparations were in final stages for the five- day golden jubilee celebration of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) medical college in the city, which is to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday. According to organising secretary of the golden jubilee celebration, S.N.Mohanty, it was an occasion to celebrate for whole of south Odisha as this institute happened to be the only medical college in this region. The hospital attached to the medical college was also the only referral hospital in south Odisha.

The State government had started a medical college in Berhampur in 1961. Due to dearth of its own campus it was being run in the building in front of the City Hospital, which is now being used as office of Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO). Later it was shifted to the building which is now being used as living quarters of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division and the building which is now being used by the Ophthalmology Department of the medical college. On November 30, 1963, foundation stone was laid for the new building of the medical college and the hospital attached to it. In 1966 it was named after Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, who had played a pivotal role for the formation of modern Odisha State on linguistic basis. New building of this institution was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Odisha Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo on February 21, 1969.  

During the time of inception this institute had intake strength of 40 students. Now 150 students are getting admitted into its MBBS course every year. At present 96 students were studying in post graduate courses of the institute. As the hospital attached to it happens to be the only referral hospital in south Odisha, more than 1,000 patients reach its out-patients section every day. On an average more than 120 patients get admitted in the indoor wards of the hospital every day. The alumni of the institute include several physicians of national and international repute. According to Dr. Mohanty around 5,000 delegates would attend the golden jubilee celebrations. First principal of the institute Sukumar Das would also attend the inaugural ceremony. As part of the celebration several technical seminars would be held in which experts of international fame would take part. Present as well as past students of the institute were also busy preparing for cultural shows they would perform during the five-day long celebration.

Source: The Hindu