Bhubaneswar: After levelling a string of allegations against various departments of the State government a few days ago, senior leader Damodar Rout on Monday threw a 'checkmate challenge' at Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik.
Training his guns at Patnaik, Rout said that he will not allow any Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate to win (in 2019 elections) from his home district, Jagatsinghpur. The ex-minister further said that he will also ensure that BJD doesn't win in other parts of the State.
"I will field independent candidates, if required, and ensure no BJD candidates win in Jagatsinghpur... Congress candidates may win and in case a third front is formed or an alliance takes place, it will win," he said.
Lashing out at the CM, Dama said "Naveen Patnaik has neither come to Odisha to protect the interests of the people of the State nor he is committed to good governance. He has come to waste the name that his father late Biju Patnaik had earned."
The expelled BJD leader also said that he will take out anti-corruption rallies against the State government in Nimapara (Puri), Mahanga (Cuttack) and Bhadrak district.
On the other hand, BJD spokesperson Samir Das said that the Opposition has failed to prove even a single incident of corruption in the last 10 years against the government, and Rout's comments are baseless.