BJP-Congress war of words over 'BJD link'

JP and Congress, the two opposition parties in Odisha, were engaged in a bitter war of words over their alleged “BJD links”. Both the parties accused each other of joining hands with the Naveen Patnaik led ruling regional outfit to protect the latter’s interests. The two opposition parties interesting wordy duel has become the talk of the political circles in the state.

It all started on the floor of the state assembly when BJP members were trying to raise an issue relating to farmers’ distress during zero hours. The Congress legislators simultaneously raised another subject relating to the establishment of a high court bench in western Odisha and some of them rushed to the well of the house shouting slogans forcing the Speaker Surya Narayan Patra to adjourn the proceedings.

Speaking to newsmen outside the assembly later, the deputy leader of the BJP legislature party, Bishnu Sethi expressed his utter displeasure on the matter. “Whenever we are raising an issue in the floor of the house, the Congress members creating a kind of blockade rushing to the well. There seem to be some ‘fixing’ between the Congress and the ruling BJD to stop us”, he said.

Sethi’s remark invited a sharp reaction from the Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra. “People of Odisha know who has joined hands with whom. The BJP legislators are enacting a drama to help BJD after chief minister Patnaik donated a Rajya Sabha seat to them(the BJP)”, the senior Congress legislator said referring to the developments during the elections for Upper House vacancies from the state a few days back.

The BJD distanced itself from the BJP-Congress tussle though the party was at the centre of the controversy. “It is a fight between BJP and Congress. We have nothing to do with it. We do not have any understanding or link with either of them”, the chief whip of the regional outfit Pramila Mallick quipped.