BJP & Congress term BJD’s cry for Odisha Legislative Council as lollipop to dissident leaders 

While the setting up of the Odisha Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad has once again started gathering pace, the state units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have said the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is crying for the Legislative Council only to rehabilitate its discontent members. 

Informing about the status, BJD MP Munna Khan said, “A resolution for the setting up of the Legislative Council has already been passed in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. I have also raised it in the Parliament that the process of the setting up of the Legislative Council should be accelerated. Once it is passed in the Parliament, it would be sent to the President for approval. Once set up, it would be easier to deliver service to the people.” 

On the other hand, the BJP said it has been wise to the hidden agenda behind the BJD crying for the setting up of the Legislative Council. 

‘They (the BJD) are not in a position to face the dissidence in the party. They are trying to pacify the dissatisfied leaders with the lollipop of the Legislative Assembly. This is why they have raised the issue again in 2023,” said state BJP vice president Biranchi Narayan Tripathy.   

Echoing the same, OPCC chief Sarat Pattanayak said, “We the people of Odisha will be happy if the Vidhan Parishad is set up. But they had raised the issue before the last general election so that the dissatisfied leaders won’t defect. Now they have raised the same issue to check the defection. Some political analysts have become well aware that it (Vidhan Parishad) is only to pacify the dissidents. And some leaders have also become aware that nothing would happen and made up their mind to explore alternatives.”