Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Dhenkanal MP Tathagat Satpathy today kicked up a major political storm by accusing BJP of trying to create a rift and split the ruling Biju Janta Dal (BJD) in Odisha.

In his tweet, Tathagat Satpathy wrote, “BJP hard at work to divide BJD in Parliament, may be in Assembly. They want AIADMK-type split.”

If split happens, no matter how small, BJP will try for early elections in Orissa with Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. They want to take away BJD’s party name & symbol. Rumours afloat that only one MP from BJD will swing this deal for them, Sathpathy wrote in his tweet.

Taking a dig at the saffron party, Satpathy said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend BJP’s National Convention scheduled to be held on April 15 and 16 in Orissa and the intention is to put pressure to make state govt defunct.

“Orissa assembly election is scheduled for 2019 along with Lok Sabha. Orissa may not be considered cowbelt,” Satpathy added.

When a Twitter user sought a reaction from Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda on Tathagat’s remarks, the MP responded by saying that, “He speaks w/ expertise, having suspended from BJD & joined another party. I don’t have such experience, so I will defer to his....,” said Panda in his tweet.

Senior BJD leader and Minister Damodar Rout on the other hand claimed that why BJP will try to create a rift, we already have ''Bhibhisans' within our party. However, our party will never split till the Biju legacy is alive.

On the other hand senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that efforts are on to strengthen BJP in Odisha and already the party has performed well in the recently concluded panchayat elections.

“BJP has formed governments in four states and people of the country have showed faith on the pro-poor welfare schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If same party is in power both in centre and in state, development programs can be expedited,” said Pradhan.

BJP leader Suresh Pujari, however, clearly refuted the allegations levelled by BJD MP Tathagat Satpathy saying, “BJP never creates rift among others to strengthen itself, rather it builds its own organisation.”

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