The Odisha Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed an unusual scene as Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra asked questions in Koshali and Industries Minister Pratap Keshari Deb replied him in the same language, creating a kind of amusement among the fellow legislators.

During the Question Hour, Mishra made a query on the State Government’s initiatives in setting up of industries in his home district Balangir. The question was put in Koshali language. This appeared quite unusual for the Treasury Bench members as well as Opposition lawmakers as Mishra usually puts his question in English and Odia.

Not to lag behind, Minister Pratap Deb also took everyone by surprise as he replied in Koshali.

Adding more spice to the interaction, ruling BJD’s Rairakhol MLA Rohit Pujari started asking a question in Koshali.

The interaction among lawmakers in Koshali was viewed by many as an exercise by the leaders to impress the Koshali-speaking voters of western Odisha districts ahead of the 2024 elections.

Every time an election approaches, leaders from western Odisha evoke the Koshal pride issue. They allege “deliberate and perennial neglect” of the region by the coastal Odisha leaders and demand insertion of Keshali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

On Friday also, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo raised the Keshali language issue and urged the lawmakers to put pressure on the Government of India to place the language in the Eighth Schedule.