Even as the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the left parties and other Opposition parties take on the Narendra Modi-led Union Government over the price rise issue, Odisha’s ruling BJD appears to have taken a soft stand towards the new Central regime.
While the entire opposition ensured stalling of the Parliament over the issue, the BJD took a different stand despite having 20 members in lok Sabha and 7 members in Rajya Sabha.BJD lok Sabha member Baijayant Panda explained, “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his Government needs to take some tough actions in order to keep the economy going, the Centre increased the rail fare and fuel price.”
Stating that the BJD realises that the price rise hits the common man, Panda said his party would demand special consideration by the Centre towards the regions inhabited by poor people.This, in other words, means the BJD would not like to go along with the rest of the opposition at least on the price rise issue.While the BJD claims to have been maintaining equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP, its recent stand has created confusion in public.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) has, meanwhile, alleged that the BJD is silent against the Centre over price rise as it tries to get some relief in the CBI probe into the chit fund scam and a possible CBI inquiry into the mining scam.