Bhubaneswar: Taking a swipe at Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over exclusion of Susanta Singh from its team for Jharsuguda Assembly bypoll in Odisha, oppositon BJP and Congress on Saturday claimed that the ruling party’s decision seemed to have hinted at the leader’s role in Naba Das murder.
By keeping the senior leader out of the party’s poll management team for Jharsuguda by-electon, BJD has ‘officially admitted’ that he is involved in the sensational murder case, claimed Odisha BJP general secretary Prithviranj Harichandan.
Claiming that the supporters of Naba Das are angry with the senior legislator, he said the ruling BJD decided to exclude him from its poll management team to protect him and the party party from their anger.
The BJD is apparently keeping the leader away from Jharsuguda so that people will forget him, Harichandan said, adding that it will not be proper to take the name of the leader as investigation into the murder is underway.
The senior BJP leader also recalled that some leaders were kept away from the 10th-day rituals of the slain minister, and said BJD’s poll management is also entrusted to people accordingly.
Noting that senior politicians including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra had accused BJD leaders of being involved in Naba Das murder case, Harichandan said BJD has now officially accepted the allegations.
Those who were accused by the LoP in the case have been excluded from by-poll management by BJD to protect it from the anger of Naba Das’ supporters, he claimed.
Making similar claims, veteran Congress leader and MLA Suresh Routray said the exclusion of the senior BJD leader, who is considered very influential in western Odisha, shows the ruling party is aware of his alleged involvement in the mysterious murder case.
