<p>Rajya Sabha member and rebel Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Tuesday launched a new political party called Odisha Jana Morcha.<br /><br /></p>.<p>He was thrown out of the ruling regional outfit in Odisha last year for anti-party activities.<br /><br />Mohapatra told a news conference here that the Election Commission (EC) had been moved for the registration of the new political outfit and sanction of a party symbol. “We have already furnished our application with the EC who would be granting us a party symbol subsequently,” the former BJD heavyweight said.<br /><br />Mohapatra, once known as the second-in-command in the BJD after party president Naveen Patnaik, was sacked from the regional outfit in the middle of last year for orchestrating a failed midnight coup to remove Patnaik from the chief minister’s post and topple his government.<br /><br />The new party has elected him president, Mohapatra said. A vice-president, a general secretary and the treasurer of the party have also been elected.<br /><br />Mohapatra said his party’s principal aim “is be to defeat the ruling BJD. Our main aim will be to throw the present ‘British rule’ in Odisha out.” <br /><br />The new outfit will field candidates in all the 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state during the coming elections, in alliance with some like-minded political parties. “We are hopeful of winning 80 to 85 Assembly seats,” Mohapatra claimed. <br />The BJD said the formation of the new outfit would have no impact on the party.</p>
<p>Rajya Sabha member and rebel Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Tuesday launched a new political party called Odisha Jana Morcha.<br /><br /></p>.<p>He was thrown out of the ruling regional outfit in Odisha last year for anti-party activities.<br /><br />Mohapatra told a news conference here that the Election Commission (EC) had been moved for the registration of the new political outfit and sanction of a party symbol. “We have already furnished our application with the EC who would be granting us a party symbol subsequently,” the former BJD heavyweight said.<br /><br />Mohapatra, once known as the second-in-command in the BJD after party president Naveen Patnaik, was sacked from the regional outfit in the middle of last year for orchestrating a failed midnight coup to remove Patnaik from the chief minister’s post and topple his government.<br /><br />The new party has elected him president, Mohapatra said. A vice-president, a general secretary and the treasurer of the party have also been elected.<br /><br />Mohapatra said his party’s principal aim “is be to defeat the ruling BJD. Our main aim will be to throw the present ‘British rule’ in Odisha out.” <br /><br />The new outfit will field candidates in all the 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state during the coming elections, in alliance with some like-minded political parties. “We are hopeful of winning 80 to 85 Assembly seats,” Mohapatra claimed. <br />The BJD said the formation of the new outfit would have no impact on the party.</p>
