Is BJD Planning An Alliance With The Congress In Odisha ?

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Debashish Samantaray’s suggestion that the regional party can join hands with Congress to form a new government in Odisha has triggered a political row in the state.

The Rajya Sabha member’s statement, however, evoked sharp reactions both from Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with both accusing him of ‘day-dreaming.’

The BJD MP, while speaking at a meeting near Kujang in Jagatsinghpur district, reportedly suggested that BJD can join hands with Congress to oust the Mohan Majhi regime and form a new government in the state. A purported video of the meeting has gone viral.

In the video, Samantray was heard stating seven cases have been filed in the Orissa High Court challenging election of BJP MLAs. The Rajya Sabha member was also heard telling party workers that that he has urged BJD president Naveen Patnaik to be prepared for by-elections for seven Assembly seats. V K Pandian was also present when he made the suggestion to the BJD chief, he said.

If Naveen Patnaik simply visits and waves his hands in these constituencies, BJD will win and the number of BJP seats in the Assembly will be reduced, he was heard saying in the video. BJD’s strength in the Assembly will also rise to 60. If necessary, BJD will join hands with Congress and form a new government in in the state, the purported video showed Samantaray stating during his address at the meeting.

A day after making the suggestion at the meeting, the BJD MP again asserted on Sunday that it was his belief and would soon turn true after the by-election.

“We know that Naveen Patnaik is our vote-catcher. This is my speculation because I had registered a case and I know what the cases are against which candidate. So, this is just my belief,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Rajya Sabha MP, senior Congress leader Mohammed Moquim said BJD is known for changing its colour as it supported BJP in the Parliament in passage of several bills. Therefore, the question of Congress joining hands with BJD does not arise at all, he said.

Stating that election cases are still pending in the court, Moquim ridiculed at Debasish Samantaray for his prediction to win in the by-election.

Mocking at Samantaray, Odisha BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra said the BJD leader is daydreaming. The BJP government has done a lot of work in the last 100 days which the previous BJD regime could not do in so many years, he said.

Hitting out at the Rajya Sabha member, BJP leader Biranchi Tripathy said cases are also pending in the High Court challenging the election results in some seats where BJD has won.

Claiming that BJD seems to be desperate to get power, he said the regional party is unable to get rid of their power hangover and they believe that they are still in power or can get back to power by any means.

Instead of accepting the reality, BJD is dreaming of forming government together with Congress as it has all along been with the grand old party, the BJP leader added.