BHUBANESHWAR: In a repeat of the 2019 Rajya Sabha elections, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha on Wednesday announced its support to opposition BJP‘s Ashwini Vaishnaw in the biennial polls. The BJD justified the decision to back the railway and telecom minister, saying it is in the “larger interest of the state”, while the saffron party claimed it is getting the support without being asked.
The opposition Congress stated that its allegations that the two parties engaged in “shadow boxing” in the state have been proved.
The BJP central leadership named the union minister as its candidate for the February 27 Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha, though the party lacks the required number in the assembly to sail its nominee through.
Soon after this, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced his party’s support for Vaishnaw.
While a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha requires the support of at least 37 MLAs, the BJP has only 22 members in the 147-member assembly.
Though BJD with 109 MLAs has the required strength to win all three RS seats going to be vacant in April, Patnaik had nominated candidates for two, triggering speculations that he might again extend support to the BJP nominee for the third seat.
The BJD president had announced his party’s support to Vaishnaw after a request from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in a by-poll to Rajya Sabha in 2019.
The two BJD candidates, Debashish Samantray and Subhashish Khuntia, have filed their nomination papers.
Speaking to PTI, Vaishnaw said, “I am a disciplined worker of the BJP. I want to express my gratitude and thanks to the party leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving me an opportunity to serve people once again.”
In a statement, the BJD supremo said the party decided to support the BJP candidate for the larger interest of the state’s railways and telecom development.
Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal told reporters: “Our candidate Ashwini Vaishnaw will file his nomination papers on Thursday. We have sufficient numbers and will win the polls in the prevailing political scenario in Odisha.”
Asked how BJP will win polls without having the required numbers, Samal said: “In politics, if somebody extends support, why shall we refuse?”
There will be no alliance between the BJD and the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls, he said.
AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar and state Congress president Sarat Pattanayak slammed the BJP and the BJD over the development.
In a post on X, Kumar said, “BJP-BJD bonhomie! The ‘tactical larger plan’ of the two erstwhile ‘married alliance’ is on the move! ‘BJD always backed BJP’. Now the Odias understand why CBI-ED never conducted a raid on the CM and his close aide Mr Pandian even though the state witnessed ‘massive scams’.”
The BJD in 2009 had snapped ties with the BJP after going together for 11 years.
While attacking the BJD, Kumar recalled the train accident in Balasore in June last year in which 297 passengers were killed and more than 1100 others injured.
“For show, the Railway Minister shed a few tears, that’s it! Today @bjd_odisha is supporting the same Railway Minister. The people of Odisha are watching!” the Congress leader said in the post.
State Congress president alleged that CM Naveen Patnaik has betrayed the people of Odisha.
Three Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will fall vacant as the terms of Vaishnaw, Amar Patnaik and Prashanta Nanda in the Upper House are due to end in April this year.
The opposition Congress stated that its allegations that the two parties engaged in “shadow boxing” in the state have been proved.
The BJP central leadership named the union minister as its candidate for the February 27 Rajya Sabha elections from Odisha, though the party lacks the required number in the assembly to sail its nominee through.
Soon after this, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced his party’s support for Vaishnaw.
While a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha requires the support of at least 37 MLAs, the BJP has only 22 members in the 147-member assembly.
Though BJD with 109 MLAs has the required strength to win all three RS seats going to be vacant in April, Patnaik had nominated candidates for two, triggering speculations that he might again extend support to the BJP nominee for the third seat.
The BJD president had announced his party’s support to Vaishnaw after a request from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in a by-poll to Rajya Sabha in 2019.
The two BJD candidates, Debashish Samantray and Subhashish Khuntia, have filed their nomination papers.
Speaking to PTI, Vaishnaw said, “I am a disciplined worker of the BJP. I want to express my gratitude and thanks to the party leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving me an opportunity to serve people once again.”
In a statement, the BJD supremo said the party decided to support the BJP candidate for the larger interest of the state’s railways and telecom development.
Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal told reporters: “Our candidate Ashwini Vaishnaw will file his nomination papers on Thursday. We have sufficient numbers and will win the polls in the prevailing political scenario in Odisha.”
Asked how BJP will win polls without having the required numbers, Samal said: “In politics, if somebody extends support, why shall we refuse?”
There will be no alliance between the BJD and the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls, he said.
AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar and state Congress president Sarat Pattanayak slammed the BJP and the BJD over the development.
In a post on X, Kumar said, “BJP-BJD bonhomie! The ‘tactical larger plan’ of the two erstwhile ‘married alliance’ is on the move! ‘BJD always backed BJP’. Now the Odias understand why CBI-ED never conducted a raid on the CM and his close aide Mr Pandian even though the state witnessed ‘massive scams’.”
The BJD in 2009 had snapped ties with the BJP after going together for 11 years.
While attacking the BJD, Kumar recalled the train accident in Balasore in June last year in which 297 passengers were killed and more than 1100 others injured.
“For show, the Railway Minister shed a few tears, that’s it! Today @bjd_odisha is supporting the same Railway Minister. The people of Odisha are watching!” the Congress leader said in the post.
State Congress president alleged that CM Naveen Patnaik has betrayed the people of Odisha.
Three Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will fall vacant as the terms of Vaishnaw, Amar Patnaik and Prashanta Nanda in the Upper House are due to end in April this year.
