AAP in search of honest candidate to field against Odisha CM

Bhubaneswar: The Aam Admi Party today announced that it would field a candidate against Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly elections.

"We will field a candidate against Naveen Patnaik. The state leadership has been asked to identify a honest candidate to contest against the BJD supremo," AAP national executive member Yogendra Yadav told the first ever public meeting of the party.

Alleging that the chief minister was responsible for the mining scam of Rs 60,000 crore, Yadav dubbed Patnaik 'mauni baba' who saw corrupt practices but took no action.

"The chief minister is responsible for the scam. He is sheltering the people involved," the national executive leader of AAP alleged.

Stating that the Justice M B Shah Commission of Inquiry has mentioned that the mining scam amounted to Rs 60,000 crore, Yadav said the state government has admitted this by issuing notices to miners for raising excess minerals.

"Not only the people of the state, but the entire country should consider it as a great shame," Yadav said.

The Rs 60,000 crore could have been utilised for the development of about 55,000 villages in the state," he said.

The AAP leader also criticised Patnaik for his inability to speak and read Odia despite ruling the state for 14 years.

"It is a shame that your chief minister cannot speak Odia, the mother tongue of the people in Odisha. I feel also ashamed of my inability to speak in Odia when you people can speak good Hindi, which is my mother tongue. I should learn Odia," said Yadav.

Referring to Posco and Vedanta projects, Yadav said the government must consult the people who would be affected by the steel and aluminium plants.