Odisha: BJD MP Says ‘V K Pandian Was Never Our Leader’

Bhubaneswar: Infighting in Biju Jajata Dal (BJD) appears to be getting intensified with senior leaders openly targeting party president Naveen Patnaik and V K Pandian over the debacle in the last elections in Odisha.

Amid intense tussle in the regional party, Veteran leader and former Minister Amar Satpathy and former MP Prasanna Patasani have been spewing venom against Naveen and Pandian.

Hitting out at the two leaders, BJD’s Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray stated that Pandian was never the leader of the regional party. If the leaders have the courage, they are free to blame party president Naveen Patnaik for the electoral debacle, he told reporters.

“V K Pandian was never our leader. Naveen Patnaik has been our leader and those who have courage can hold him responsible for the party’s defeat in the last elections,” Samantaray said.

Stating that Amar Satpathy should have applied his mind before expressing his views, Samantaray said one should not always hanker for power. Satpathy had come up with such statements when he left had BJD and joined NCP earlier, he said, and sought to know as to how Satpathy returned to BJD again after making such remarks.

Similarly, Patasani is making adverse remarks even though he got many benefits from BJD and became MP multiple times, the BJD MP said, and sought to know whether it was justified for the former MP to leave the party after being denied ticket in the elections.

Stating that BJD is now getting organised to work as an effective opposition party, Samantaray said those who want to leave the party are free to do so. Their departure will have no impact on the party, he added.