Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda’s wife Mili Panda makes political debut in Odisha
BHUBANESHAR: Her husband is on the run, somewhere in the forests of south-west Odisha, with a bullet in his thigh and the police in close pursuit. Meanwhile, Subhashree orMili Panda, wife of Maoist Sabyasachi Panda, is all set to make her debut in mainstream politics with the new party Ama Odisha.
Sabyasachi Panda, son of a freedom fighter and three-time CPI(M) MLA from Ranpur, has caused the state government much embarrassment. He is alleged to be involved in the murder of Lakshmanananda Saraswati that led to the Kandhamal riots in 2008 and more recently with the abduction of an Italian tourist.
"I have spent two years working in Ranpur (in Nayagarh) with my outfit Janamanch Odisha. This is our chance to leverage the work we have done for two years," said Panda's wife. "My followers are sympathetic to my situation (the possibility of her husband been killed in an encounter) and it's certainly a pressure, but I hope to live up to the challenge."
Ama Odisha provided the best platform for the causes dear to her heart -- namely, the liquor mafia and women's issues -- she said. Also, the party led by former Congressman Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was the only one that would accept her as a candidate.
She tried to meet Chief MinisterNaveen Patnaik recently with a bouquet of white lilies. Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, which has been welcoming to many others, wasn't moved. "I don't know if the CM likes white flowers. I waited for two hours in the hot sun and he wouldn't see me. Had they offered me a ticket, I would have been happy to join them," she said.
Subhashree, 38, who spent two years in jail for her alleged ties with the CPI (Maoist), said she has no connection with her husband and was always critical of the violence practiced by the Maoists.
"You can only be together in the forests. Once you are out in the mainstream, you can't be together. My personal life now revolves around my mother-in-law and my daughter, whose future I need to secure," she said.
Disowned by the CPI-Maoist party, Sabyasachi Panda was rumoured to be making a return to the mainstream with the Aam Aadmi Party. The localAAP unit has however denied the move. His wife, who claims to have 30,000 supporters, is dismissive of AAP. She believes it may be relevant in Delhi but has little influence in Odisha.
Sabyasachi Panda, son of a freedom fighter and three-time CPI(M) MLA from Ranpur, has caused the state government much embarrassment. He is alleged to be involved in the murder of Lakshmanananda Saraswati that led to the Kandhamal riots in 2008 and more recently with the abduction of an Italian tourist.
"I have spent two years working in Ranpur (in Nayagarh) with my outfit Janamanch Odisha. This is our chance to leverage the work we have done for two years," said Panda's wife. "My followers are sympathetic to my situation (the possibility of her husband been killed in an encounter) and it's certainly a pressure, but I hope to live up to the challenge."
Ama Odisha provided the best platform for the causes dear to her heart -- namely, the liquor mafia and women's issues -- she said. Also, the party led by former Congressman Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was the only one that would accept her as a candidate.
She tried to meet Chief MinisterNaveen Patnaik recently with a bouquet of white lilies. Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, which has been welcoming to many others, wasn't moved. "I don't know if the CM likes white flowers. I waited for two hours in the hot sun and he wouldn't see me. Had they offered me a ticket, I would have been happy to join them," she said.
Subhashree, 38, who spent two years in jail for her alleged ties with the CPI (Maoist), said she has no connection with her husband and was always critical of the violence practiced by the Maoists.
"You can only be together in the forests. Once you are out in the mainstream, you can't be together. My personal life now revolves around my mother-in-law and my daughter, whose future I need to secure," she said.
Disowned by the CPI-Maoist party, Sabyasachi Panda was rumoured to be making a return to the mainstream with the Aam Aadmi Party. The localAAP unit has however denied the move. His wife, who claims to have 30,000 supporters, is dismissive of AAP. She believes it may be relevant in Delhi but has little influence in Odisha.
Source http://economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/maoist-leader-sabyasachi-pandas-wife-mili-panda-makes-political-debut-in-odisha/articleshow/32430393.cms
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