Rebel leader Rajendra Das, who has been expelled from BJD for contesting the Dhamnagar bypoll as an independent candidate, has made shocking revelations about threats to his life.
“Yes, I was pressurised to support Abanti Das. Otherwise, they would have run a truck over me while returning from Bhubaneswar to Bhadrak,” revealed the disgruntled leader who was expelled from BJD for ‘anti-party’ activities four days back.
His shocking revelation comes a day after one of his supporters revealed the incident in OTV’s Jana Mancha programme titled ‘Dhamnagar Ghamasan’.
Rajendra’s aide Sailendra Mohapatra said, “Had Rajendra not supported BJD candidate Abanti Das, the former could have been killed on his way from Bhubaneswar to Bhadrak.”
His startling revelation has grabbed the attention of political leaders cutting across the party lines.
He went on to add, “Rajendra was pressurised to support Abanti Das at Naveen Niwas. The government has done injustice which is why Dhamnagar residents have joined hands to go against the ruling government.”
Moreover, Mohapatra ridiculed the BJD for seeking to play ‘woman card’ for Dhamnagar bypoll saying “Some political goons had plotted conspiracy to deprive Raju Das of getting the ticket.”
“Playing women card is a blind decision taken by the government. To demean Raju Das, some existing MLAs and defeated MLAs of Bhadrak district made a conspiracy against Raju Das. They did it to save their position and get Minister positions in the future,” Mohapatra added.
However, the BJD termed the revelation as baseless and a political gimmick to win sympathy votes.
“Only those who are heartless can say such things. They cannot swallow the fact that CM Naveen Patnaik is popular, his reach with common people including women and children alike, and his work for the common people of Odisha. So, they are spreading such baseless rumours,” said BJD MLA Prafulla Samal.