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Bhubaneswar: Veteran BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra today congratulated BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik for his successful execution of 'Kill Bijoy' plan in the recent Patkura poll.
In an exclusive and candid interview to OTV, Mohapatra blasted the ruling-BJD for deploying an army of 70 MLAs, including 14 ministers, to ensure his defeat.
“In my 40 years in Odisha politics, Patkura poll has been a new experience. The poll had all the intrigues, turns and twists. Right from fielding of Bed Prakash Agarwalla, who was then ailing seriously, to the postponement following his death and subsequent deferments over the cyclone ‘Fani’, nowhere in India, an election process for an Assembly constituency had seen such a long delay of three months,” said Mohapatra.
“I am surprised at the 'chakravyuha' planned. As many as 70 MLAs, 14 ministers and hundreds of police in civil dress were deployed by the BJD. Only the BJD strategists can tell why they positioned such a large fleet for the poll,” he questioned and added that this has played the main role in influencing the poll results.
“During campaigning, I saw groundswelling support for me. Even, the poll result has taken the people of Patkura by surprise. The leaders who took part in the ‘gherabandi’ in Patkura need to explain why this one seat was so important,” asked Mohapatra.
Mohapatra criticised the State government, which is famous for launching several projects, for conceiving another ‘Kill Bijoy’ project in Patkura. “The project objective was to stop Mohapatra from entering the Assembly at any cost. Ego has no place in politics. Everyone needs to refrain from 'ego',” he counselled.
In a startling disclosure, Bijoy claimed that the ruling party ministers and MLAs, who were camping in Patkura, have revealed the sorry state of affairs in BJD. "We are uncertain of our own future. The party is in the grip of few non-Odia bureaucrats. It is this handful of bureaucrats, who are now the destiny makers of MLAs, the party and even Naveen,” he claimed to have heard from a group of BJD leaders.
Junking all the charges, BJD MLA Pratap Deb took a reverse jibe at Mohapatra and reminded him how during Biju Patnaik's days in Rairangpur bypoll, he as a general, executed a 'chakravyuha' in a similar fashion then.
“The claim of ‘gherbandi’ politics is absolutely false. In democracy, its the voters, none else, who are the destiny makers,” he opined.
