Chief Minister & BJD President, Naveen Patnaik reportedly met 24 party MLAs at Naveen Niwas on June 20 to discuss their prospects in their respective Constituencies.
The meeting carries much weight amid speculations of early elections before the tenure of the current Assembly ends in May 2024.
It is pertinent to mention here that this is not the first time Patnaik has met his MLAs in the recent past. In fact, this is the third time he has met the MLAs. Prior to this, he has already met 70 MLAs in two phases.
As per reports, the MLAs informed the CM about the current status of the party in their respective constituencies, and in return, the CM advised them on ways to strengthen the party from the grassroots level.
It is also being speculated that the MLAs being called to meet the CM are said to receive party tickets in the next elections as well.
While no comments have been received from the BJD in this connection, the experts however are of the opinion that it is a mechanism devised by the party to quell the dissent among the leaders who might get disappointed for not getting a party ticket again.
Speaking to OTV, senior journalist, Rabi Das said, “By assuring tickets to all the sitting MLAs, they are trying to curb the dissatisfaction and infighting among the party members. The leaders who will be left out this election will not get enough time to stage a coup if they won’t know their status till the very last minute.”