Vested interests' are trying to create rift in BJD, says Baijayant Jay Panda
BHUBANESWAR: A day after his article in a leading Odia daily created a flutter in political circles here, BJD’s high-flying Lok Sabha member from Kendrapara, Baijayant Jay Panda on Wednesday slammed the “vested interests in the party” who he alleged were trying to create a rift in the regional outfit. He even urged the party president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for “urgent steps” to check such an attempt.
“Vested interests in the BJD are trying to distort, but I want NP (CM Naveen Patnaik) to recognise current challenges, take urgent steps and rediscover BJD’s original strengths,” Mr Panda tweeted. The MP’s fresh tweet drew sharp reaction from BJD insiders with most of them criticising such comments in public or media. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, however, preferred to keep mum over the issue.
BJD vice-president and state excise minister Dr Damodar Rout said Mr Panda should not give statements about the party in public and rather meet the CM directly to discuss whatever he wants to. “Baijayant Panda is an experienced and four-time MP. His views should not be treated casually. His comments/statements could be for the benefit of the party,” Dr Rout said.
The minister, however, strongly denied any challenges that the party is going to face as observed by the MP.
“I don’t foresee any such challenge before the party that he is apprehending. What his article says is that he was a member of the core committee during formation of BJD in 1997. If it is true, he must know everything. I do not know that as I was not in the core committee,” Dr Rout said. Party spokespersons Samir Ranjan Das Dash, Amar Satpathy passed on the issue to BJD president Naveen Patnaik.
“The entire episode of what is happening in public has drawn CM’s attention. He will take appropriate decision at the right time,” Amar Satpathy said. In his first tweet on Monday, Mr Panda had said that the last three years of the Naveen Patnaik’s fourth term as CM has been marked by corruption and goondagiri, reminding people of Odisha about the same situation that prevailed during the Congress government that ruled Odisha from 1995 to 2000.
He also cited the poor performance of the BJD in the recently held rural polls as manifestations of people’s anger against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Besides, he mentioned that people were slowly distancing themselves from the BJD and getting attracted towards the young leadership (an indirect reference to Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan) of BJP.
