Bhubaneswar: Amid intense infighting in Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after its rout in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, the regional party appears to be passing through a critical phase while trying to play the role of an effective opposition effectively.
While BJD president Naveen Patnaik has been making efforts to keep the flocks together and maintain unity in the organisation, party leaders have been openly raising questions on various issues. Those who never opened their mouth when the party in power are now targeting the leadership.
Speaking about the future of BJD, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra has made some serious predictions while raising questions about Naveen Patnaik’s leadership.
Claiming that BJD will crumble, Patra said Naveen has become old and is unable undertake visits to different parts of the state. Moreover, the regional party has not been able to build and develop any second rung leadership, he told reporters.
“As per my assessment, BJD will cease to exist. While Naveen Babu has become too old and is not in a position to move around and travel enough, the party has not developed any second rung leadership,” the BJP leader said.
To a query about V K Pandian, the Minister claimed that bringing Pandian forward would cause more harm to BJD as people are not ready to trust him.
Claiming that the previous BJD government fell primarily because of Pandian, the senior leader said if Pandian is again projected the regional party’s tally in the state Assembly will get further reduced from 51 to 11.
