Will vote independently in Rajya Sabha polls: Suspended BJD MLA Arvind Mohapatra

Arvind Mohapatra, the suspended BJD MLA from Odisha’s Patkura Assembly constituency in Kendrapara district, once again targeted the party supremo and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Friday, claiming that the BJD chief has failed to respond to his questions.

Also Read: Arvind Mohapatra’s suspension: Naveen Patnaik promises new leadership for Patkura

Mohapatra said he is still trying to understand the reason behind his suspension from the BJD. He alleged that the questions he had raised were never answered by Patnaik.

The Patkura MLA further stated that he had challenged the leadership to verify the truth behind allegations related to corruption and breach of trust, but received no response.

Mahapatra added that he now considers himself an Independent MLA and will vote in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections based on the merit of the candidates.

“No, I haven't received an answer. I had asked counter-questions, but no one has given me an answer yet. It is up to them; they can answer if they wish. As an MLA, the powers I had then, I still have now. I will continue to work for my constituency and my district. I am currently on some committees, and we are travelling across Odisha. During these travels, whatever issues I observe, I will raise them in the Legislative Assembly,” the Patkura MLA said to OTV.

“Rajya Sabha election has become a topic of discussion in our State. I want to tell everyone that four seats will fall vacant. If there are only four candidates, the vote won't hold much significance, and the four candidates will be elected. If there are more than four candidates, then we will see what needs to be done,” the legislator asserted.

Responding to Mahapatra’s allegations, the BJD stated that party supremo Naveen Patnaik would respond to the questions raised by the Patkura MLA.

When asked by mediapersons for a reply, BJD’s Ananta Narayan Jena remained tight-lipped and briefly said, “The party president Naveen Patnaik will explain. I am not competent to reply to this question.”