Suspension Very Sad: Baijayant Panda

Bhubaneswar: Kendrapada MP Baijayant Panda on Wednesday expressed shock over his suspension from the BJD though in recent days he had spoken of a conspiracy to remove him.

In a tweet shortly after the ruling party announced his suspension, he said all allegations against him were false and baseless and reiterated his claim that an IAS officer was controlling the party.

BJD vice president and food supplies minister S N Patro, while making the announcement in the evening, said Panda had been directly and indirectly indulging in activities aimed at weakening BJD, whether it is the Parliament, state, constituency or media space.

A section of party members had also accused him of the same.

Patro also alleged that Panda had benefited from loan waiver to IMFA and mentioned about him being keen for the post of chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance in Lok Sabha. “After 2014 elections, Panda was desirous of becoming chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance in Lok Sabha and expressed the same to the party leadership. He also said that BJD being the fourth largest party in the Parliament, may not be favoured with the chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Finance. However, if he is nominated, he would be able to lobby and get it,” Patro told a press conference at the BJD headquarters here.

The party leadership, however, did not favour Panda, the minister said, indicating the reason for Panda’s unhappiness with the BJD bosses and also his perceived proximity with the ruling coalition at the Centre.

Panda denied the allegations, saying those were ‘entirely false and baseless’. “I will pray to (Lord) Jagannath before I respond further,” he said.

The action against Panda has laid bare internal bickering within the BJD and also the perceived cold war between Panda and the party leadership.

Panda, who was once a close confidant of Naveen, had in recent years fallen from the party president’s grace and even questioned goings-on within the ruling dispensation. He had even attacked the ‘Third Floor (CM office)’, triggering speculation that he was getting close to the BJP.