After Munna Khan, another BJD leader claims people ready to re-elect Naveen Patnaik as Odisha CM

Just a few days after BJD’s Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Munna Khan made tall claims that BJD may not have to wait for five years to come back to power, senior leader Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has stirred up a hornet’s nest by claiming that people of Odisha are ready to re-elect Naveen Patnaik as Odisha CM.

Back-to-back such statements from senior BJD leaders have triggered an uproar in Odisha politics.

During a public meeting in Kendrapara’s Mahakalpara, Nayak claimed, “I want to assure all the BJD voters and supporters, people of Odisha are now ready to re-elect Naveen Patnaik as the CM of Odisha. Now we have 51 seats, 14 from Congress and 3 Independent candidates. How many more do we need, 7, 8, 9 or 10?”

When contacted, Congress MLA Mangu Khilla said, “There is nothing as such as of now. But if BJD wants, they have 51, we have 14… But, they need to hold a discussion with my high command.”

On the other hand, BJP MLA Saroj Padhi laughed at Atanu’s statements and said that 1/3rd of BJD MLAs were waiting to join BJP.

“Nothing will happen even if 6-7 MLAs join them. They do not even know the mathematics of politics. Atanu should know the mathematics before blabbering anything. On the contrary, 1/3rd of BJD is waiting to join our party,” the BJP leader stated.

Worth mentioning, earlier Munna Khan had launched a blistering attack on the saffron party, saying it is just a whistle away from crumbling. He made tall claims that 14 BJP MLAs were in touch with BJD and could help them dissolve the current Mohan Majhi-led BJP government.

Questions arise on why leaders within BJD are making such statements. Is it because the party is still struggling to accept its defeat gracefully? Or is this rhetoric aimed at motivating party workers? 

The anti-defection law doesn’t permit legislators to change parties. If two-thirds of BJP MLAs leave the party can their positions remain secure? In the present scenario, such a mass defection from the saffron camp to BJD seems unlikely.

Furthermore, doubts linger whether the Opposition BJD, born from an anti-Congress sentiment in the State, will align with Congress now. 

On the other hand, political analysts opine that the BJP government is presently on the back foot on various issues. It is a favourable situation and BJD intends to exploit it through such propaganda.

“Such calculations do not seem to have been based on facts and many are under doubts regarding the future of BJD. Some leaders have recently left the party. BJD has probably formed a strategy to create a conducive atmosphere to keep the party intact so that its leaders would not quit. The statements now being made are part of that motive,” political analyst Prasanna Mohanty stated.

Reacting to this, senior Congress leader Mohammed Moquim said, “They (BJD leaders) are now making statements intending to return to power. Indirectly, this reflects their keenness that they cannot exist without ‘government’.”

“It is for the faulty programmes which they implemented over the last 24 years, that the people of Odisha have rejected them. Blindly they were supporting the Bills moved by NDA. Hence, Congress cannot have an alliance with such a non-secular party,” the senior Congress leader added.