Even as BJD dissident Pyarimohan Mohapatra announced launching of the Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) ostensibly to bring reforms in the regional outfit, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik remained unfazed by the development dismissing it as ‘inconsequential’ and the ‘B’ team of Congress.
“It appears to be a ‘B’ team of Congress and will have no impact on the people of the State,” he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a function in Cuttack.
Jagneswar Babu, the spokesperson of the Morcha, described the Chief Minister’s statement as irresponsible.Pyari, however, refrained from making any comment on Naveen’s reaction to the Morcha.
After remaining silent for four months following the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Chief Minister on May 29, Pyari announced formation of the OJM on Sunday in a bid to democratise the functioning of the BJD. The Morcha will be formally launched on October 19.
The Congress also sharply reacted to Naveen’s statement. “The Congress has only ‘A’ team. It does not have any ‘B’ or ‘C’ team,” Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said. Stating that Congress is not banking on the problems and weaknesses in BJD, Niranjan said Naveen seems to be scared of the growth of Congress in the State. By stating that the Morcha will bring reforms in the BJD, the leaders have only admitted that the regional outfit is not running property, he said.
Senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra, however, said the creation of the Morcha will certainly have its impact on the State politics. Stating that Pyari is yet to make anything clear so far, the BJP leader said it is premature to comment without the announcement of any plans and programmes by him.
The BJP leader, who was the BJD dissident’s enemy number one when he was calling the shots in the regional outfit, however, said floating of the Morcha will certainly be damaging for the BJD.