Bhubaneshwar: The Odisha BJP has dismissed BJD’s ‘political conspiracy’ to weaken the latter’s position in Rajya Sabha allegation amid the sudden resignation of Mamata Mahanta from the Upper House.
Speaking to the media, BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty said that former minister and MPs of BJD have lost faith in Naveen Patnaik. “There is no truth in this allegation. BJP hasn’t done any conspiracy. Naveen Patnaik was in power in Odisha for 26 years, his former ministers and MPs have now lost faith in him…they know that he can’t do anything…that’s why she resigned. She realised that she wouldn’t be able to do anything for the state and her district while being in the regional party…,” he told ANI.
On Wednesday, the BJD was caught off guard when Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced Mamata’s resignation from the Upper House of Parliament. She also quit the regional party.
Speculation was also rife that Mamata could join the BJP.
BJD’S ALLEGATION
Reacting to the development, BJD chief whip in Odisha Assembly Pramila Mallik alleged that her resignation was part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by a national party to send one of its leaders to Rajya Sabha. “She was sent to the Upper House by the BJD president to represent her community and work for them. She has betrayed the party and the community,” she said, ruling out any rift inside the party in Mayurbhanj, Mamata’s home district.
Mallik further claimed that BJD continues to remain strong under Naveen’s leadership.
Also Read: Has BJP Started Rajya Sabha ‘Game’ In Odisha? Pramila Says BJD Is Quite Strong
SAMAL BUZZ
Political circles were also agog with speculation that it was a strategic move by the BJP to send party’s state president Manmohan Samal to the Rajya Sabha so that he could be accommodated in the union council of ministers, considering his contribution to the party’s win in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
While the BJP stormed to power in Odisha by securing 78 seats in the assembly, the party’s state unit president Manmohan Samal suffered defeat in Chandbali segment to BJD’s Byomakesh Ray by a margin of 1,916 votes.
POLITICAL DYNAMICS
The 48-year-old woman leader from the Kudumi caste (an OBC group) was elected to the Upper House from Odisha as a member of the BJD in March 2020 as part of the party’s effort to rebuild its base in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district where BJP had put up a better performance in 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Following her resignation, BJD’s strength in Rajya Sabha has come down to eight from nine. The BJP has one member in the upper House from Odisha – Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was elected earlier this year with support from the BJD. The Lotus party is likely to bag this vacant seat because of its strength in the Assembly if election is held now.
Also Read: Can BJD Use Rajya Sabha Math To Correct ‘Past Wrongs’?
The Naveen Patnaik-led party’s role had assumed significance after BJP’s strength in the Upper House dropped to 86 with four nominated members – Rakesh Sinha, Ram Shakal, Sonal Mansingh and Mahesh Jethmalani – completing their tenure on July 13.
The NDA has 101 members, falling short of the current 113 majority mark in the House of Elders, whose maximum strength can be 245. Though the saffron party can still pass bills in the Upper House with the support of seven non-aligned members, one Independent member and friendly parties like AIADMK and YSRCP with 4 and 11 members respectively, the BJD’s position became crucial after it announced to stop lending “issue-based support” and be a “strong and vibrant” Opposition in Parliament.
This was departure from its stand before the drubbing in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
The BJD’s ‘no-support’ policy to the NDA in the Rajya Sabha was considered well-timed for keeping the former ‘friend’, the BJP, under pressure in the Upper House.
