bjp-has-plans-to-break-bjd-claims-patnaik-s-aide-vk-pandian

Biju Janata Dal leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is fighting elections in the state not to win but to increase its seats with an intention to break the BJD after the polls.

 

The bureaucrat-turned-politician said this while meeting a group of journalists at Gopalpur in Ganjam district on Wednesday.

 

Asserting that the BJP’s plan will not succeed, Pandian said many people from the national level are coming to campaign in the state, but the people of Odisha have no trust in them.

 

“Naveen Babu (CM Naveen Patnaik) is the trust of the people,” he said.

 

Responding to his allegation, senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty said that the saffron party does not need to break the BJD.

 

“BJP need not break the BJD. It will break on its own. There are several Eknath Shinde in BJD who are in constant touch with us,” he said.

 

The BJP is contesting the polls to form government in Odisha, Mohanty said.

 

Earlier, asked whether he was confident of Patnaik becoming the chief minister for the sixth consecutive time, Padian asserted that the BJD will win the elections with flying colours.

 

Pandian claimed that BJP has no candidate in 60 of the 147 assembly segments in Odisha.

 

Targeting Pradhan, Pandian claimed that he was rejected by the people of his own district, Dhenkanal.

 

“His party lost in panchayat and urban polls. So, he ran away and filed the nomination paper from nearby Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. He has done nothing for his own district. Had he done something good for Odisha, our CM would have been liberal not to put any candidate against him. But, his report cards were very poor,” Pandian said.

 

Replying to a question on BJP raising the Odia Asmita (pride) issue during elections, Pandian said, the central government has not given a single rupee for the promotion of Odia language.

 

Though the BJP has 8 MPs in Lok Sabha from Odisha, all of them remained completely silent while the Centre was providing money for the promotion of other languages and not for Odia, he claimed.