BJD Leader Accuses BJP of Plotting to Break BJD after Elections
In a significant development, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and close aide to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, V.K. Pandian, has alleged that the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not fighting the upcoming elections in Odisha with the intention of winning but rather to increase its seat numbers with the ultimate goal of breaking the BJD after the polls.
Pandian made these allegations while meeting with a group of television channel journalists in Gopalpur, Ganjam district. He claimed that the BJP’s slogan of securing 120 Assembly seats in 2014 failed, and while their target for 2019 remains unknown, their strategy for 2024 is to win between 50 and 60 seats and destabilize the BJD post-elections.
Pandian asserted that the BJP’s plan will not succeed, emphasizing that people from the national level are coming for campaigning in the State, but the people of Odisha have no trust in them. He expressed confidence that the people will continue to support Naveen Patnaik, citing the poor performance of national-level BJP leaders in previous elections and the public’s lack of trust in the BJP’s commitment to Odia language and culture.
Pandian also highlighted the BJP’s lack of candidates in 60 of the 147 Assembly segments in Odisha, accusing them of waiting for the release of BJD’s candidate list to pick up candidates from among those dropped or rejected by the regional party.
Responding to a question on the BJP’s attempts to appeal to Odia pride during elections, Pandian criticized Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi for allegedly attempting to stop the Shree Mandir Parikrama Project (Jagannath temple heritage corridor project). He also pointed out that despite the BJP having eight MPs in Lok Sabha, none of them raised their voices to support the promotion of Odia language and culture, which he characterized as election-time rhetoric.
Pandian’s allegations and criticisms have sparked political debate in Odisha, with the BJP refuting the claims and accusing the BJD of fabricating stories to discredit them. The upcoming elections in Odisha promise to be fiercely contested, with both the BJD and the BJP determined to secure a victory. It remains to be seen which party’s strategy will prevail and who will emerge victorious on election day.
