Odisha Rajya Sabha nomination triggers controversy

Rajya Sabha nomination of Ashwini Vaishnav has triggered a controversy in Odisha with the Congress charging the BJD and BJP of forging an “unholy nexus” for each other’s benefit.

Vaishnav was an ex-Odisha cadre, non-Odia Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

The saffron party, it may be recalled, had dethrone the Congress from the position of principal Opposition party in the state after the recently held Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

“Vaishnav’s nomination clearly exposed the unholy nexus between the BJD and the BJP. They fought against each other in public but were together behind the scene. It seems there was a deal between both the parties. And the people in the state have a right know what the deal is all about”, state Congress leaders led by senior legislator and former minister Narasingha Mishra said.

It all started on Friday evening when chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik announced the names of two party spokespersons, Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra, as well as of Vaisnav's for the three Rajya Sabha vacancies from the state.

After the announcement, everybody presumed that all three were BJD nominees. With its strength in the newly formed Assembly, the regional outfit was sure to win all the three seats.

The development took a surprising turn when some of the state BJP leaders claimed that the former IAS officer was a saffron party nominee and not of the BJD.

They proved to be correct when Vaishnav, who was the collector of Cuttack during his service days in Odisha and had also served as a secretary to former prime minister the late Atal Behari Vajpayee, stepped into the state headquarters of the BJP on Saturday morning and formally joined the saffron brigade.

Before that BJD chief Patnaik, nevertheless, had clarified that the ex-IAS officer was actually a BJP nominee and his party had agreed to extend its support to the Vaishnav's nomination following a request from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Both the BJD and the BJP leaders have vehemently supported the move— saffron party seeking the BJD’s support and the latter extending the same to ensure Vaishnav’s victory— insisting that it (the move) was intended for the “development of the state and its people”.

However, it has provided an excellent opportunity to the Congress to corner both its opponents.