The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has started the process to buy votes of at least 11 Opposition MlAs to help its fourth candidate Raghunath Mohapatra win the Rajya Sabha elections,” said Samata Kranti Dal (SKD) founder and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy here on Monday
Quoting his reliable sources’ information, Tripathy said the ruling party has started talks with 17 Opposition MlAs, out of which 11 are interested to support Mohapatra. Though he had no proper evidence to this effect, he asserted that the clear picture would come to the fore very soon.
He criticised the BJD for having indulged in horse-trading in the 2010 Rajya Sabha polls too. After getting serious complaints from a few politicians about the shameful act, the Chief Election Commissioner of India (ECI) had directed the State Government on August 29, 2011 to lodge a case in the matter. The State Government had finally lodged an FIR at the Twin City Police Commissioner’s office here on September 12, 2011 which was registered at the SDJM Court later.
But on October 06, 2012, the Government requested the court to drop the case as there was no complainant in the case. When the case was dropped by the local court, the Government informed the ECI about the status of the case. Though the ECI had written to the Centre for a CBI probe into the horse-trading case in Jharkhand and Odisha, the Centre didn’t act for CBI probe into the case in Odisha which showed that the BJD and the Congress have a secret understanding, Tripathy alleged.
SKD president and MlA George Tirkey said he may abstain from polling as he strongly opposes the BJD and never supports the Congress. After formal discussions with his party members, he would take a decision on Tuesday.
“If the Independent fourth candidate wins the polls, you can easily find the smell of horse-trading by the BJD as the party needs 10 more MlAs for it,” said Tirkey.