BJP Claims BJD Leaders In Touch With It Amid Operation Lotus Talks

Bhubaneswar: With rival political parties trading charges ahead of the twin elections in Odisha, senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty on Wednesday claimed that many from the ruling BJD are in contact with the saffron party as all of them are not ‘slaves.’

“All leaders in Biju Janata Dal are not ‘kritadasas’ (slaves). There are many Eknath Shindes (Chief Minister of Maharashtra who had deserted the Shiv Sena),” the former Odisha BJP president told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

Mohanty’s remark came after BJD leader V K Pandian accused BJP of trying to engineer a split in the ruling party. Pandian expressed the apprehension that that if the BJP bags 40 to 50 Assembly seats in the state, it will try to pull down the BJD government by engineering a split in the ruling party.

Hitting back at Pandian, the BJP leader said that all BJD leaders are not slaves and many of them are in constant touch with us. BJD is rattled as it knows well that the ground under its feet is caving in.

Mohanty asserted that those belonging to Odisha soil and attached to Odia pride, identity and glory will not remain slaves.

Hitting out at Pandian, the senior BJP leader sought to know as to when die he become a psephologist. If Pandian admits that the BJP will win 50 Assembly seats, he will come to know what it is going to happen on June 4,” he added.