Bhubaneswar: In what could be an explosive overture ahead of BJP’s upcoming national executive meet in Odisha, senior party leader and Union Minister Jual Oram created a flutter by stating that leaders, including MPs and MLAs from the ruling-BJD are in talks to join the saffron party.
Not only BJD, members including former MLAs, MPs, Ministers of other parties are also discussing prospects of joining BJP, said Jual without divulging the names and the number of such members who are waiting in the lurk to switch sides.
“There are some who are pursuing serious discussions to join the BJP. There are MPs, former MPs, former ministers, MLAs, senior party office bearers of all parties including BJD are in talks with BJP. After the performance of BJP in the recently concluded elections in four states, everyone is heading towards BJP,” said Jual.
Notably, couple of days back, a former Congress MLA and a former Zilla Parishad Chairperson joined BJP. However, claims of sitting MLAs and MPs joining BJP is something which is being taken with a pinch of salt by observers.
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If less than one-third of the number of legislators and MPs switch to another party, then the anti-defection law can be invoked leading to cancellation of membership, which further undermines chances of MLAs and MPs joining BJP.
“As far as I know, there are no chances of MPs and MLAs of our party joining BJP,” said BJD spokesperson, Pratap Deb.
“He is just trying to create a flutter under the assumption that BJP has become powerful. However, the situation at the grassroots level is quite different,” said Congress Leader Mohammed Mokim.