Congress leader and Opposition Chief Whip in the State Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati on Friday claimed that seven to eight BJD MlAs are willing to join the Congress if former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik is back as the State Congress chief.
“You know I don’t tell a lie. You will see what I said in future, “ he told reporters here.
He asserted that the concerned BJD MlAs have confided in him that they are not happy in the ruling party fold.
Bahinipati even claimed that two BJD MlAs, being disgruntled over their party affairs, got their votes in the recent Presidential election invalidated. Notably, the BJD had extended its support to the NDA’s Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.
In reaction, BJD Chief Whip in the Assembly Amar Prasad Satpathy said no MlA of his party would have knowingly got their votes cancelled. Though the polling was a secret one, the party would inquire into Bahinipati’s claim, he added.