Nuapada bypoll campaigning: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi targets Naveen Patnaik over ‘traitor’ remarks

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took a direct swipe on Thursday at BJD chief and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik over his controversial remarks made about the BJP candidate in Nuapada Assembly bypolls, Jay Dholakia.

Also Read: ‘Traitor’ politics heats up in Nuapada ahead of bypoll; BJP questions BJD chief Naveen Patnaik’s silence

In Bijepur, Subal Sahu was a local leader from Congress. After his demise, his wife Rita Sahu was embraced by the BJD. Moreover, BJP candidate Tusharkanti Behera, who was already given the party ticket for Kakatpur Assembly constituency seat, was later ‘hijacked’ by the BJD in Puri district. Who is a “traitor” then? The CM questioned.

Addressing the public, CM Majhi said, “Does it suit Naveen Patnaik to call Jay ‘dishonest’? The BJD had lured the BJP candidate with promises of a ministerial post, and then fielded him from Kakatpur.”

“What is the definition of ‘traitor’? Who is called a traitor? If we look (at the past days), we know that, irrespective of the party ideologies, the former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition used to keep his ‘decency’,” the CM expressed.

“This term – ‘traitor’ – has never come out of his mouth,” CM Majhi added.

CM Majhi also alleged that the word ‘traitor’ seems to have been scripted for Patnaik to read, and claimed that the former Odisha CM might not have even fully understood its meaning. It was spoken through him by someone else (perhaps hinting at someone who had been managing Naveen Patnaik).

The CM urged voters in Nuapada to judge for themselves who has truly acted dishonestly, pointing out that the BJD candidate was brought from a neighbouring district rather than selected locally.

The Chief Minister’s comments highlighted what he described as BJD’s political desperation, saying the party is now forced to “search even in uncle’s houses” to field candidates for elections.

However, no comments were received from the BJD in this regard.