While the State Congress leaders seem to have been demoralised because of the continued neglect by the central leadership which was in evidence again on Sunday as nobody from Odisha was included in the Union Ministry, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has described it as yet another instance of Central apathy.
Whenever there is a Congress ministry at the Centre, Odisha is neglected as far as representation in the Cabinet goes, former minister and BJD MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy said.
The BJD MLA alleged that while Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal got more than their share by inclusion of 11 and 4 ministers from their States, respectively, Odisha drew a blank.
It seems that Odisha has been singled out by the Central leadership of the Congress, Satpathy said, adding that neglect of the State in all spheres has crossed the limit.
The former minister said with this act of the central leadership of the Congress, the prospects of the party in the 2014 elections have been shattered. Despite the tall claims made by the State leadership about the revival of the Congress in the State, Odisha is not on the agenda of the central leadership of the party, he said.
Criticising the Central leadership of the Congress for ignoring the State’s demand in every sphere, Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) general secretary Bijay Nayak said there was speculation that a tribal MP from the KBK region would be inducted this time. Nayak said the Congress has dashed the expectations of the tribals in the State by denying a young MP a berth in the Union Cabinet. The Congress leadership has also humiliated the people of Odisha by not elevating a minister to the Cabinet rank from the State, he said.
It was expected that an MP from Western Odisha districts or a tribal would be inducted in the Union Ministry this time. Out of the six Congress MPs from Odisha, five are from Western Odisha and tribal dominated constituencies.