Odisha BJP suspects BJD planning Pandian's backdoor entry to assembly

PTI Updated: April 26, 2024 20:41 IST

Bhubaneswar, Apr 26 (PTI) The Odisha BJP on Friday alleged that Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who is contesting from two seats, will vacate one of them to facilitate his close aide V K Pandian's entry into the assembly.
    The allegation was levelled by former BJP president Samir Mohanty at a press conference here, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state.
    Pandian is not a candidate either for Lok Sabha or assembly even though he formally joined the BJD last year. He declared his intention not to contest but rather to ensure Patnaik's sixth consecutive term as Odisha's chief minister, Mohanty said.
    Mohanty alleged that Patnaik's dual constituency - Hinjli in Ganjam district and Kantabanji in Bolangir district- bid aims to set the stage for Pandian's eventual induction through a by-election maneuvere, a move he believes Odisha residents will resist.
    "The CM will vacate one of the two seats and put up Pandian from there in the bypoll. People of Odisha will thwart this ploy of the BJD to parachute him to Vidhan Sabha," Mohanty told reporters.
    Mohanty further accused the BJD government of widespread corruption under the guise of its 5T (transformation) initiative, alleging a calculated strategy to facilitate Pandian's ascension to governance.
    "This is well-calibrated strategy of the BJD to ensure backdoor entry of 5T chairman Pandian to help him take over the reins of governance in Odisha," he alleged.
    In response, the BJD dismissed Mohanty's claims, attributing them to the BJP's apprehension of electoral defeat in the upcoming polls. Party spokesperson Sulata Deo dismissed Mohanty's assertions as products of the BJP's "fake news factory," labeling them as false, baseless, and politically motivated.
    "The BJP people are unable to think logically as they fear that 2019 election performance will be repeated in 2024. Mohanty is yet to get over the drubbing that the BJP suffered during his stint as the part president in the panchayat elections,” he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)