The statements of Ministers Damodar Rout and Susant Singh have made it clear that the hope of the BJD to win the 2019 elections is the Congress party. This has proved that the BJD’s self-confidence has been destroyed, alleged BJP State vice-president Samir Mohanty at a Press conference here on Monday.
Both the Ministers have said to the media that a meeting of the Congress is being held in New Delhi for reorganisation of the party. If the Congress puts its house in order, the BJD is definitely going to win the 2019 elections. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is currently on a visit to New Delhi, and by scrutinising the statements of his Ministers, Patnaik is engaged in setting the Congress house in order in association with Rahul Gandhi, Mohanty said.
Mohanty said Naveen Patnaik, in fact, is going to decide who would be the new PCC president.
He further said that the BJD’s internal understanding with the Congress is nothing new. In 2009, after the BJP-BJD alliance broke, the Congress provided life support to the minority Naveen Patnaik Government. To defeat the NDA, the Congress in a pre-planned manner, instead of imposing the President’s Rule, provided indirect support for which the BJD was able to sail through in the elections.
The BJD leaders are giving misleading information that the BJP achieved success in the panchayat elections due to a decrease in the Congress vote share.
Speaking on the Ministry reshuffle, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said it is not for the welfare of the State but for the BJD.
levelling allegations against some newly-inducted Ministers, Sharma said those who are embroiled in controversies have been given berths in the Ministry. “The man (Maheswar Mohanty), who is facing charges of Swargadwar and Sipasarubali land encroachments and had conspired to give forestland to Vedanta, has been given the Revenue portfolio.
The Chief Minister has given the law Department to a person (Pratap Jena), who is known as a lawbreaker and had not submitted the details of his wife’s property list to the Election Commission”, he added.
Similarly, the man (Bijayshree Rouray), who is responsible for failure of the tiger project in the State, has again been made the Forest Minister, Sharma alleged. The matter of concern is that the Chief Minister has given the Agriculture Department to such a person (Damodar Rout), who mocks at the farmers and is least worried about farmers’ suicide.