Bhubaneswar:

Ex-Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal – which helped ex-ally Bharatiya Janata Party pass key bills in the Modi government’s first two terms, when it lacked numbers in the Rajya Sabha – seems to have firmly switched sides now and labelled itself a “strong and vibrant opposition”.

“We will make the centre accountable on all issues. BJD MPs will raise all issues pertaining to the state’s development and the welfare of the people of Odisha. Many rightful demands haven’t been met,” the party quoted Mr Patnaik after a meeting with his nine Rajya Sabha MPs in Bhubaneswar Monday.

“(We will) be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament…”

The BJD’s assertive stance comes not only after providing the BJP outside support on various issues in the past 10 years, but after breakdown in alliance talks in March, just weeks before the elections began.

Had those talks born fruit, the BJD and Mr Modi’s party would have re-allied nearly 15 years after a split that prompted late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj to say Mr Patnaik would “regret” snapping ties.

NDTV Explains | 15 Years After Split, Naveen Patnaik’s BJD Hints At NDA Return

In the past, support from the BJD and ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy – his YSR Congress was ousted by the BJP’s ally, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP – was crucial on several occasions, such as the election of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to the Rajya Sabha in 2009 and 2014.

More recently, the BJD’s support also helped the BJP push through the Delhi services bill, ensured a no-confidence motion against the Modi government flopped, and pushed through laws like Triple Talaq and the J&K Reorganisation Bill.

BJD’s “Rightful Demands” From BJP

The “rightful demands”, the BJD’s statement said, ranged from ‘special category’ status for Odisha to housing and education for the poor, and from establishment of premier medical institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences – “… not satellite units” – to improved national highways.

The party also flagged social and economic issues, including the controversial topic of MSP, or minimum support price, for farmers, which has been a bone of contention between the opposition and the BJP since the violent protests of 2021/22. The BJD also said it will “demand inclusion of 162 communities” in the state’s Scheduled Tribes list, which it said it had been lobbying for “for many years”.

All of this comes after thumping wins by Mr Modi’s party in the May-June Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In the former the BJP routed the BJD by winning 20 of the state’s 21 seats and, in the latter, Mr Patnaik – who lost the Kantabanji seat to the BJP’s Laxman Bag – won only 51 of 147, down from 112 five years ago. The BJP secured 78 – four over majority – to form its first Odisha government.

READ | “Oh, You Defeated Me”: BJD Boss Naveen Patnaik To BJP MLA

The twin defeats left Mr Patnaik firmly on the backfoot in a state he has dominated since 2000; his BJD had won every Assembly poll and over 50 per cent of Lok Sabha seats in each general election.

In fact, the BJD has failed, for the first time, to win even one Lok Sabha seat.

READ | After Heated Campaign, PM, Patnaik Greet Each Other At Swearing-In

The BJD, which had 12 Lok Sabha MPs in 2019, now has only nine in the Rajya Sabha. And that number will be cut in half in 2026, when four Odisha seats – now held by the BJD – fall vacant.

“Will Be Strong Opposition”

Earlier today BJD leader Sasmit Patra said party boss Naveen Patnaik had given “clear instructions to fight for the rights of the state’s people in Parliament”. “No more support to BJP, only opposition. We may go to any extent to protect the interests of Odisha,” he said after Mr Patnaik’s meeting.

READ | Will Be “Strong Opposition” For BJP: Naveen Patnaik’s Party

In the recent election the BJD was not part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which united the opposition to stifle Mr Modi, the BJP, and the party-led National Democratic Alliance.

Mr Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar – who helped found the INDIA group before jumping ship to the NDA after internal rows – met in May last year but the BJD boss remained non-committal and passed off the meeting as one between “old friends and colleagues”.

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Bhubaneswar:

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide and senior BJD leader VK Pandian on Tuesday claimed the opposition BJP has “committed nine self goals” during the ongoing Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly polls thus boosting the regional party’s electoral prospect.

Mr Pandian claimed that the BJP’s self-goals will help the BJD and none can stop the regional party from forming the government for the sixth consecutive time.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

He also claimed that the BJD has so far by the end of the third phase of Assembly polls, already secured majority to form government in the state and the next and final phase of voting will be held in BJD’s stronghold areas.

Speaking on the nine self-goals of the BJP, Mr Pandian claimed that the number one “mistake” in the series was to drag Lord Jagannath’s name to the political discourse and also using “abusive language” against Odisha’s most popular and five-time chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

“The people of Odisha do not appreciate these words against a respected person like Mr Patnaik,” he said.

On the second self-goal, Mr Pandian said they have said in the manifesto to “close down” the Mission Shakti if BJP comes to power. They have all along conspired against Mission Shakti which has about 70 lakh women membership. This possible action of BJP has created a “panicky situation” among the women.

He said if the BJP comes to power, it will “stop” the benefits of the Biju Swaasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) for the people of Odisha by implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme. While the Ayushman Bharat scheme is only for the BPL people, the BSKY covers about 90 per cent of the state’s population.

“This is the third self-goal and the people of Odisha will teach BJP a lesson in the elections,” Mr Pandian said.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician said the BJD government has introduced school, college, university and technical education institutions transformation. The BJP will “close down” all such activities if it comes to power. This apart, the BJP will also “stop” giving scholarships to the students, Mr Pandian claimed.

On the fifth self-goal, Mr Pandian said the tribals “fear” that the BJP will “stop” the BJD’s Special Development Councils (SDCs) which work to protect and promote the tribal language and culture. No BJP rules state has such facilities for the tribals as provided by the Patnaik government in Odisha, he claimed.

This apart, Mr Pandian said that the people are apprehensive that the state’s communal harmony will be disturbed if the BJP comes to power. In “Double Engine Sarkar” states, there is illegal extortion collection and small businessmen are the victims, he alleged. The people apprehend that such culture will also come to Odisha if BJP forms government in the state, he said.

Regarding MSP on paddy, Mr Pandian said that the BJP has now announced to give Rs 3,100 as MSP per quintal of paddy. The people are now asking why it was not earlier while the central government is the authority to decide the rate of MSP.

He said the BJP got a shock after the Patnaik government announced free electricity to about 90 per cent of the households. They have now coined free power versus solar power.

The BJP’s solar power scheme will meet the fate of the Ujjawala scheme where the women had to pay heavy price after getting a cylinder or two free of cost, he said.

On the BJP’s ninth self-goal, Mr Pandian said it is BJP’s ‘Subhadra Yojana’ under which the saffron party announced to give Rs 50,000 to each women.

“If each woman in Odisha gets Rs 50,000, the total amount required will be Rs 1 lakh core. This is another ‘jumla’ of BJP after the false assurance of Rs 15 lakh to each family,”Mr Pandian said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

BJP leader Sambit Patra found himself in the eye of a political storm following an unfortunate slip of the tongue. During an interaction with media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Odisha’s Puri yesterday, Mr Patra suggested that Lord Jagannath, the revered deity of the ancient town, is a devotee of PM Modi. This gaffe has ignited a fierce backlash from political rivals, especially from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The incident occurred in the sweltering heat and chaos following PM Modi’s roadshow. Mr Patra in his clarifications has said that he had aimed to highlight PM Modi’s devotion to Lord Jagannath but mistakenly stated, “Jagannath is Modi’s bhakt.” The comment, captured on camera, immediately stirred controversy, drawing ire from multiple quarters. The political fallout as a result of Mr Patra’s remarks has prompted the BJP leader to undertake a period of “upvaas” (fasting) in atonement.

READ | Sambit Patra’s “Slip Of Tongue” That Found A New ‘Bhakt’ For PM Modi

“Today, a statement made by me had created a controversy. After PM Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Puri, I gave byte to many media channels and everywhere I said the same thing, that PM Narendra Modi is an ardent devotee of Mahaprabhu Jagannath… In the end, when another channel took my byte, it was extremely hot, crowded and noisy. Unknowingly, while giving the byte, I said the opposite, that Mahaprabhu is a devotee of PM Narendra Modi. This can never be true, and a person in his senses can never say such things that god is a devotee of a human. I have made this mistake unintentionally. I know some people must have been hurt but even god forgives mistakes made unintentionally… I need to seek forgiveness from Mahaprabhu Jagannath for this slip of the tongue and I have decided to do a ‘upvaas’,” Mr Patra said.

आज महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी को लेकर मुझसे जो भूल हुई है, उस विषय को लेकर मेरा अंतर्मन अत्यंत पीड़ित है।

मैं महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी के चरणों में शीश झुकाकर क्षमा याचना करता हूँ। अपने इस भूल सुधार और पश्चाताप के लिए अगले 3 दिन मैं उपवास पर रहूँगा।

जय जगन्नाथ।

ଆଜି ଶ୍ରୀ… pic.twitter.com/rKavOxMjIq

— Sambit Patra (Modi Ka Parivar) (@sambitswaraj) May 20, 2024

The reaction from Naveen Patnaik was swift and sharp. The Odisha Chief Minister condemned Mr Patra’s statement in a scathing social media post, saying that such remarks insult the sanctity of ‘Mahaprabhu’ Jagannath and hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees. He urged the BJP to refrain from dragging the deity into political discourse, a sentiment echoed by other opposition leaders.

“Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world,” Mr Patnaik wrote.

Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of Universe.

Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world.

The Lord is the greatest Symbol of…

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 20, 2024

The controversy quickly gained momentum, with leaders from various parties joining the chorus of condemnation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP’s perceived arrogance, suggesting that such statements indicate a dangerous level of self-aggrandisement within the party. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed these sentiments, calling Mr Patra’s statement a height of arrogance and an “insult to God”.

The Congress, BJD, and AAP capitalised on the uproar, with the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Modi himself. “Sambit Patra, who is immersed in Modi Bhakti, should not have committed this sin. Narendra Modi should apologise for this disgusting statement,” stated the Congress’s official communication.

Amid the escalating backlash, Mr Patra took to social media to clarify his statement. He explained that it was an inadvertent slip of the tongue, a mistake made under the strain of the moment. “I gave a number of bytes today to multiple media channels…by mistake during one of the bytes I pronounced just the opposite. I know you too know and understand this. Sir, let’s not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue. We all have a slip of the tongue sometimes,” Mr Patra wrote directly to Chief Minister Patnaik, seeking to defuse the situation.

Despite Mr Patra’s apology, opposition parties remained unyielding. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) lodged a formal complaint, alleging that Mr Patra’s statement was a deliberate attempt to insult religious sentiments. They accused him of violating the model code of conduct and called for strict action.

This controversy unfolds as Odisha heads into a crucial phase of the elections, with Patra’s gaffe potentially influencing voter sentiment. The BJP, which is striving to make significant inroads in the state, now faces the challenge of mitigating the fallout from this incident.

 

Bhubaneswar:

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday unveiled its manifesto for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls to make Odisha the No. 1 state in the country by 2036.

Releasing the regional party’s manifesto, BJD president Naveen Patnaik announced the introduction of Kalingashree and Kalinga Bhushan awards annually, akin to Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, to celebrate Odisha’s rich culture and heritage.

“This manifesto will be accepted by the state cabinet in its first meeting after the new BJD government is installed after elections,” Mr Patnaik said.

He expressed confidence that the manifesto, once implemented through the 5T governance model, would transform Odisha into a modern, identity-based state of growth and pride.

“Youth empowerment is a key aspect of the manifesto, with a separate budget of Rs 1 lakh-crore earmarked for the youth of Odisha over the next decade,” he said.

Additionally, the party pledged to increase scholarships for girls and boys and create two lakh government jobs in the next five years. Mr Patnaik also announced plans for a new skills and entrepreneurship university, State Institute of Fashion Technology, and AI University in Odisha.

In terms of industry, the focus will be on attracting investment in new technologies like semiconductors, IT, and artificial intelligence, alongside promoting eco-friendly tourism. The manifesto also promises free electricity for households using up to 100 units and subsidised electricity for those using 100 to 150 units.

Middle-class families will benefit from initiatives like Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana coverage, interest subvention on home loans, and scholarships for children’s education, the manifesto said.

Additionally, the manifesto outlines plans to empower women, tribal, OBC, and minority communities through interest-free loans, financial linkages for self-help groups, and pension schemes.

According to the manifesto, the SHGs will be provided government business worth Rs 20,000 crore in the next 10 years. Individual women entrepreneurs will be assisted with a corpus fund of Rs 100 crore to provide subsidised loans up to Rs 10 lakh to start and grow their business. Mission Shakti will be pension for women. All grassroots women workers, community support workers, anganwadi workers, and ASHAs will also receive Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) coverage and social security pensions, the BJD promised in its manifesto.

Food security, agricultural support, heritage preservation, and language development are also key components of the manifesto.

The party plans to continue and expand initiatives like the KALIA scheme for farmers and provide financial assistance for dependent girl marriages and crop loans.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

Chikiti Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Ganjam district is all set to witness a contest between two brothers in the forthcoming elections to be held on May 13. The brothers facing each other in the electoral battlefield are sons of former Odisha Assembly Speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantaray.

While the opposition BJP has fielded younger brother Manoranjan Dyan Samantaray, his elder brother Ravindanath Dyan Samantaray has been picked up by the Congress. The Congress and BJP declared their candidatures on Tuesday.

Their father Chintamani Dyan Samantaray, a senior Congress leader, was elected three times from Chikiti – twice as an independent (1980 and 1995) and once on a Congress ticket (1985).

While junior Samantaray unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections twice – on Congress ticket (2014) and BJP ticket (2019), his elder brother is contesting for the first time.

The Biju Janata Dal has fielded Chinmayananda Srirup Deb, son of the state’s Urban Development minister Usha Devi as its candidate from the Chikiti assembly seat, as Usha Devi was reluctant to contest this time due to her age-old problem. Usha Devi had been elected from the seat five times.

“I have been active in Congress since my father’s period. As a result, I got a ticket from the party to contest. It will be a contest between two ideologies and not between two brothers,” said Ravindranath.

Manoranjan claimed that he was very active in politics for the last several years and got the BJP ticket to contest the election.

“Some vested interests might have instigated my brother to contest in Congress ticket to create disturbance in the family. However, it would have no impact on my poll prospects,” he said.

Chintamani Dyan Samantray said due to his ill health, he might not campaign.

The 84-year-old veteran leader, however, said he was a Congressman and opposed the policies of the BJP.

“My younger son’s decision to contest on BJP ticket was his own decision. In democracy, we cannot impose our decision on anyone,” he added.

Nabarangpur district in southern Odisha will witness a fight between an aunt and her nephew in the Odisha Assembly election to be held on May 13.

Kausalya Pradhan, the aunt has been fielded by BJD from the Nabarangpur Assembly seat while her nephew Dilip is the Congress candidate for the same constituency.

“This is a fight of two parties and not exactly between aunt and nephew,” said Dilip.

Kausalya said the elections will have no impact on their family relationship.

Family members contesting against each other in elections is not new in Indian politics, said J K Baral, a retired professor of Political Science in Berhampur University.

“In the past, we have seen several such instances. Not surprised that two brothers are challenging each other in the same constituency,” Mr Baral said. 
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expelled two MLAs including Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, also the owner-editor of Odiya daily Sambad, on charges of anti-people activities.

“Two MLAs have been expelled from the BJD. They are Sudhansu Sekhar Parida from Remuna and Soumya Ranjan Patnaik from Khandapada,” Mr Patnaik told reporters here.

Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was earlier removed from the party’s vice-president post on September 12.

As the editor of Odia daily Sambad, he had written two signed editorials attacking his own party. He had criticised CM’s private secretary VK Pandian for allegedly exercising influence beyond his official position.

The latest action against Soumya Ranjan Patnaik comes after the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police registered a case against him under different sections of the IPC including cheating and fraud.

To justify charges of Khandapada MLA’s involvement in anti-people activities, the BJD in an official note signed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “On an FIR by an ex-employee of Sambad newspaper, a case under Sections 506/467/468/471/420/120-B IPC has been registered against him and others by Economic Offence Wing, Odisha. Further, many ex-employees of Sambad newspaper have made similar allegations with the EOW. It is a serious case of organised bank fraud involving loans worth crores of rupees taken in the name of more than 300 employees of Sambad by using fraudulent means and forged documents.” 

Similarly, Remuna MLA Sudhansu Sekhar Parida has been accused of misappropriating government subsidy worth Rs 3 crore meant for farmers. The matter is being inquired into by the state vigilance following an order of the Lokayukta, the BJD press note said.

Mr Parida, however, claimed that he was not involved in any subsidy scam on basis of which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expelled him from the party.

“I do not have any involvement in any scam as alleged. The vigilance wing is probing the case. My people in Remuna are happy with my work,” Mr Parida said. Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is yet to react to BJD’s action.

“Sri Sudhansu Sekhar Parida, when he was managing partner of M/s Nigamananda Associates, Balasore, in connivance with others misappropriated government subsidy meant for farmers to the tune of more than Rs 3 crore during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20. This matter is being inquired into by the State Vigilance on the orders of the Honorable Lokayukta,” the party statement said.

Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was the fourth BJD MLA to be charged with “anti-people activities” by the party.

The first in the list was Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi, who was arrested and jailed before being expelled from the BJD. The second lawmaker was Prashant Jagde, MLA from Chilika, and Sudhansu Sekhar Parida was third in the list.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) under the crime branch of Odisha Police had raided the office of Sambad, owned by Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, over the alleged loan fraud. The investigating agency has claimed that it has seized “credible” documents including loan/bank related papers.

“The loan in name of its employees by Sambad and Eastern Media Limited is a well thought of conspiracy and organised bank fraud,” the EOW said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Opposition BJP and Congress have strongly criticised the ruling BJD over its action against the Sambad editor.

“There is no democracy in BJD and the regional party is run in an autocratic manner. Soumya Babu was expelled from the party without being issued any showcause notice,” BJP veteran and leader of the opposition JN Mishra told reporters.

Mishra expressed surprise over BJD action as Soumya Ranjan Patnaik had penned some editorial columns as an editor and not as a legislator.

“As far I know, an editor of a leading daily should not be accountable to any political party,” he said.

Similarly, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said the BJD had made Soumya Ranjan Patnaik a “hero” by expelling him from party for accusing a secretay-level officer who allegedly spent crores of rupees making whirlwind tours of the state on a chopper.

OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak said the expulsion of two MLAs from the party indicates the beginning of BJD’s downfall. “There are many tainted leaders in the ruling party,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)