In the changing political scenario, BJD MP Bhartuhari Mahtab’s apparent proposal for the BJD’s alliance with the Congress is not possible without BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s approval, said BJP leader and Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan here on Saturday.
Pradhan said Mahtab is no ordinary MP; he is the BJD’s Parliamentary Party leader. Naveen Patnaik is behind Mahtab’s move for a BJD-Congress tie-up. The people of Odisha know it very well that without Patnaik’s permission no BJD leader can make such a political comment.
After 24 hours of Mahtab’s remark, Patnaik refuted this, and also after 24 hours some Congress leaders, who have lost their importance, disapproved the alliance proposal. This is giving a lot of pregnant indications, the BJP leader said.
Pradhan said the BJD is afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity. The BJP (in its own interest) is welcoming this unholy, unethical and selfish alliance in the Odisha politics. In 2009, after the breakup of the BJD-BJP alliance, Naveen Patnaik survived as CM with Congress support and cooperation. So, the BJD’s pact with the Congress is nothing new, Pradhan added.