VK Pandian was never our leader: BJD MP

War of words has been intensifying within the BJD due to the growing fissure within the party post-2024 poll debacle.

Countering the recent statements of Ex-MLA Amar Satpathy and Ex-MP Prasanna Patasani, BJD MP Debashish Samantaray said that VK Pandian was never their leader. Samantaray further said that Naveen Patnaik was their leader and if they have courage, they must hold him responsible for the defeat.

“Senior leader Amar Satpathy should have thought before giving his opinion. One should not always be power-hankering. By changing parties frequently, people will not have the same kind of impression on him. Amar Satpathy had also spoke against the party and Naveen Patnaik before joining NCP. How did he return to BJD after giving comments like this?” asked Samantaray.

“After getting so many benefits from the party, how could Prasanna Patasani comment like this? The party has worked very hard for him so that he could be an MP many times. He was very close to Naveen Patnaik. How far it is justified to leave the party after not getting the ticket,” he further said.

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“If they have courage, they should hold Naveen Patnaik responsible for it. VK Pandian was never our leader. Our leader is always Naveen Patnaik,” he added.

In response to the statements of Satpathy and Patasani, BJD leader Santrupt Misra said, “When big cyclones come, weaker branches of trees break down. It doesn’t affect the huge tree at all.  We are not at all perturbed by the development. It is the personal decision of those who left the party and we don’t have to speculate over the matter. Odisha people will give proper answers to them in proper time.”