In the wake of Naveen Patnaik’s statement on Sunday that the BJD would go it alone in the 2019 general elections, opposition party Congress and BJP reacted to it on Monday.

In his reaction, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) said, “The BJD in the State and the BJP at the Centre have lost people’s confidence and trust. We will try to convince people against the BJD and the BJP about their false promises and how people have been ditched by them.”

“I’m hopeful that if our party’s united efforts succeed in reaching the people with information against the BJD and the BJP, the Congress will definitely reap dividends in the next elections,” Mishra said.

BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said, “From his (Naveen’s) statement, it’s clear that he has admitted the BJP to be the BJD’s main contender. It is ridiculous that he claims the BJD would emerge winner in a comfortable manner.

 “From the day the Bijepur Assembly seat is lying vacant, he (Naveen) has turned tense as he has been conducting a series of meetings. He has to convince his own party dissidents. What does his claim of development implyIJ The Ganjam district SP has been entrusted with party organisation there” Sharma alleged.

He further alleged that the Bargarh district Collector has been vested with the BJD’s electoral responsibility in Bijepur. All these prove that the BJD is at present in a weak state, for which Patnaik has made such a statement to divert public attention from the ground reality, Sharma said.