Bhubaneswar: BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Sunday termed the abrupt exit of former Rajya Sabha member Mamata Mahanta from BJD, a trailer.
“There are others in the queue. Several leaders of the regional party inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are keen to switch sides to BJP. Mamata Mahanta’s joining was a trailer, you all will get to watch a good film in the coming days,” she said.
Responding to the ‘conspiracy to break the BJD’ claims, Aparajita said that the fear perhaps stems from the party’s weakened position. “Instead of blaming others, they should concentrate on setting their house in order and keeping their flock together,” she added.
On Friday, senior BJP leader Arabinda Dhali claimed that the BJD’s ‘nest will soon become empty’. “Resentment is brewing within BJD. A regional party degenerates once its founder becomes sick or anything else happens…BJP is a national party and it will survive,” he told mediapersons.
Mamata’s defection from BJD to BJP has put a question mark on the Naveen Patnaik-led party’s cohesion and stability in the aftermath of its debacle in twin elections with some senior BJD leaders calling for self-introspection and corrective measures to strengthen the party organisation. The BJD camp was caught off guard by her unexpected decision.
