Naveen Contesting From 2 Seats To Let VK Pandian Succeed Him, Says BJP; BJD Refutes

Bhubaneswar: Odisha unit of BJP on Friday alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is contesting from two Assembly seats to clear the path for 5T chairman VK Pandian to take over the state administration.

Speaking to media persons in the party office in Bhubaneswar, former state president of BJP Sameer Mohanty said the secret agenda of the chief minister contesting from the two seats has been exposed. Naveen will contest from Hinjili in Ganjam district and Kantabanji in Balangir district.

“The chief minister plans to vacate one of the two seats after the election so that Pandian can contest from the vacated constituency. It will later help the chief minister to announce Pandian as his successor,” said Mohanty.

Stating that the people of Odisha has read through the secret plan of the BJD, the BJP leader said his party would not allow it to succeed. “The BJP has been fighting for the pride of Odias and will not allow the ruling party to suppress it,” he added.

The BJD strongly refuted the allegation and said it was false and a figment of imagination of the BJP. “We know that the BJP is a factory of fake news. Its Odisha leaders always make such baseless allegations against the BJD,” BJD MP Sulata Deo told the media in her reaction.