PReacting to BJP leader and Union Minister Jual Oram’s claim on Tuesday that several BJD leaders, including MPs and MlAs, are in touch with the saffron party intending to join it, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Wednesday that Oram is indulging in unrealistic assumptions.
“He is indulging in wishful thinking,” said Patnaik to mediapersons here.
When asked about the proposal of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for formation of a Third Front to counter the BJP, Patnaik said that as the general elections are far away, a decision in this regard cannot be taken now.
“I think the general elections are far away to make such decision,” he stated.
However, according to political circles, Oram’s claim about possibility of certain BJD leaders joining the BJP is not entirely wrong.
In fact, some BJD MPs have been seen regularly meeting BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Central Hall of Parliament and talking to him, which has been observed by other BJD MPs.
They are all eager to talk to the “rising star”, pointed out a BJD MP, who is closely monitoring the moves of his party colleagues.
He said many BJD and Congress leaders are interested in joining the BJP and they also include former MPs and former MlAs. The BJP’s acceptability has increased in Odisha after its remarkable performance in the recent Zilla Parishad polls, he added.
Many politicians of other parties have an alternative in the BJP and they can easily join the saffron party. As such, there are large vacancies in the BJP as it does not have adequate and effective candidates in all the 147 Assembly and 21 lok Sabha seats to defeat BJD candidates.