The public utterances by ruling BJD leaders, particularly MPs that go against the party have once again apparently embarrassed party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
However, as usual, Patnaik on Wednesday maintained that there are no differences among party leaders. He was responding to questions by mediapersons in this regard after returning here from his New Delhi visit.
The latest discordant note sounded in the BJD is by Bhartruhari Mahtab, who is the leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party in the lok Sabha. In an article in the Odia daily Prajatantra owned by him, he has disapproved of the way may BJD leaders have been reacting to the reports of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) growing influence in the State.
Mahtab has stated that BJD leaders are responding to the BJP’s surge in the State in an “irritating” manner which is not good for the regional party.
Naveen Patnaik, however, said he was yet to read Mahtab’s article to give his comments on it. But, according to political observers, the BJP’s rise is rattling the BJD to the extent that BJD leaders are making wild statements almost every day.