Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Friday sought an explanation from the party's lok Sabha leader Bhartruhari Mahtab for his statement of a possible BJD alliance with the Congress.
“Recently, Bhartruhari Mahtab had given statements to a certain media regarding BJD's relations with other political parties which was against BJD's political principle. Moreover, Mahtab has been giving anti-party statements to the media without any permission of party supremo,” stated a BJD Press release issued by party secretary Ananta Narayan Jena.
Mahtab has been asked to give an explanation on what basis he had spoken about an alliance to a private news channel last week.
Post the alliance talk by the Cuttack MP, BJD insiders had said that Naveen had expressed displeasure and had also said that he would have better consulted first before making any comments on contentious issues. Repeated statements by Mahtab on making an alliance with the Congress has kicked up a storm within the party since last few days. Despite Naveen Patnaik ruling out any alliance with the Congress, a vernacular daily here recently published a report where Mahtab was quoted as saying that his earlier statement on a possible tie-up was in consultation with the Chief Minister.