Bhubaneswar: Hours after the death of BJD MLA and candidate from Patkura Assembly seat, Bed Prakash Agarwalla, senior BJP leader and his opponent in the current elections, Bijoy Mohapatra said that the deceased leader's own party meted out injustice to the veteran leader.
Expressing his condolences, Mohapatra said that he is saddened by the demise of Bed Prakash, but questioned why the ruling-BJD allotted ticket to him despite knowing that he was ill and bed-ridden for quite some time.
“Bed Prakash was ill even before the announcement of poll dates, so I think that those who selected him to contest polls have done injustice,” said Mohapatra.
He pointed out that Bed Prakash was so ill that he could not even go to Naveen Niwas to collect his ticket and so his family members had to go to party supremo’s residence to appear on his behalf and receive the ticket.
It may be noted that the BJP has once again fielded Bijoy as the party candidate from Patkura Assembly against Bed Prakash. Mohapatra had lost the election to the latter during 2009 general elections.
Meanwhile, responding to Mohapatra’s allegations, senior BJD leader Prafulla Ghadei said that party fielded Bed Prakash as the candidate because of demands of local party workers who wished to see him as MLA again.