Expelled Congress leader Suresh Routray landed in another controversy after a purported picture went viral showing his poster alongside BJD president Naveen Patnaik, party leader VK Pandian and party’s MP candidate for Bhubaneswar Manmath Routray at the ruling party's office in Jatani on Tuesday.
However, after the picture went viral on Wednesday, Routray’s cutout was removed from the place, informed sources.
The sitting Jatani MLA has been in the eye of a storm after his son Manmath Routray was given a BJD ticket to contest from the prestigious Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat against BJP’s sitting MP Aparajita Sarangi.
The senior Routray was expelled from the Congress a few days ago after he was seen campaigning for his son with some BJD leaders at a programme.
Speaking to the media, a BJD party worker at the Jatani office said, "As Suresh Routray’s son is contesting for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, the use of his photo with other BJD leaders is nothing new. There is no problem with it. He can even campaign for his son.”
However, another senior BJD leader at the party office denied the report saying, "No such poster was here when the party office was inaugurated yesterday. Maybe, someone might have morphed a picture and made it viral. Has Suresh Routray joined the BJD? He may campaign for his son, but we can’t use his photo because he has not joined our party.”
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On the other hand, Suresh Routray said, "Other parties are deliberately doing this mischief to tarnish my image. That photo is no longer there.”
He also added that the Congress has meted out grave injustice to him.” I have never campaigned for the BJD and participated in BJD rallies,” he explained.