Odisha BJP spreading lies, trying to create fissures in BJD: Opposition chief whip

Bhubaneswar: Opposition chief whip in the Odisha assembly Pramila Mallik alleged that the ruling BJP was spreading lies that several BJD leaders would join the saffron camp, asserting that such an attempt was aimed at creating fissures in the regional party.

Her comment comes after BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi had, on August 4, said Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta joining BJP after resigning from the BJD was just a trailer and many others would follow her suit.

Mallik, a former state minister and ex-Speaker of the assembly, also rejected several BJP leaders' remarks that many BJD functionaries were in touch with the saffron camp.

“A false campaign is being spread by BJP leaders,” she said.

Several BJP leaders, including former minister and MLA Arabinda Dhali, were accused of spreading lies that many BJD leaders would join the saffron party as they did not have confidence in former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

“They (BJP) are spreading lies to disturb our party. No one from our party is interested in joining the BJP. No BJD leader is in touch with them,” Mallik said on Monday.

She claimed that many BJD leaders, who had joined the BJP and the Congress, had returned to the regional party.

After the Rajya Sabha MP joined the BJP, Sarangi had said, “There are others in the queue. Several leaders of the BJD inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are keen to switch sides. Mamata Mohanta’s joining was a trailer." With Mohanta resigning from the Upper House of Parliament, the number of MPs of the BJD in the Rajya Sabha came down to eight.

The BJP is all set to fill up the vacant post.

Of the 147-member Odisha assembly, the BJP has 78 MLAs, followed by BJD 51, Congress 14, CPI(M) one and three independent legislators.