BHUBANESWAR: Trouble mounted for senior Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahatab after party supremo Naveen Patnaik sought an explanation from him on Friday for his controversial remarks on the party's possible alliance with Congress.
The BJD issued a statement which said Mahatab made certain comments to the media without the consent of the party chief. Since the remarks were against the regional outfit's political ideology, he has been asked for his explanation, BJD secretary Ananta Narayan Jena stated in a release.
Mahatab had courted controversy for allegedly stating that BJD was not averse to possibility of an alliance with Congress. While he later cleared the air saying it was his opinion - and not that of the party - which was based on the emerging political scenario, Naveen himself chose to put the controversy at rest by saying BJD would maintain equi-distance from both BJP and Congress.
However, a news report later quoted Mahatab stating that he had raised the issue of a possible alliance with Congress at the instance of CM. His claim that the statement was engineered to gauge political response only left the party red-faced.
With panchayat elections knocking at the doors, BJD has been discomfited by the party MP's comments as the BJP took advantage of the situation and alleged that the ruling outfit had been backed by Congress in the past and Mahatab's statement only exposed the party's true colour.
Mahatab has found himself increasingly alienated in the ruling party after the controversy erupted. The senior MP was not invited to the launch of signature campaign by the party on Mahanadi river water issue at Cuttack on November 11. Naveen himself had launched the campaign along with other senior members of BJD.
Trouble mounted for senior Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahatab after party supremo Naveen Patnaik sought an explanation from him on Friday for his controversial remarks on the party's possible alliance with Congress.
The BJD issued a statement which said Mahatab made certain comments to the media without the consent of the party chief. Since the remarks were against the regional outfit's political ideology, he has been asked for his explanation, BJD secretary Ananta Narayan Jena stated in a release.
Mahatab had courted controversy for allegedly stating that BJD was not averse to possibility of an alliance with Congress. While he later cleared the air saying it was his opinion - and not that of the party - which was based on the emerging political scenario, Naveen himself chose to put the controversy at rest by saying BJD would maintain equi-distance from both BJP and Congress.
However, a news report later quoted Mahatab stating that he had raised the issue of a possible alliance with Congress at the instance of CM. His claim that the statement was engineered to gauge political response only left the party red-faced.
With panchayat elections knocking at the doors, BJD has been discomfited by the party MP's comments as the BJP took advantage of the situation and alleged that the ruling outfit had been backed by Congress in the past and Mahatab's statement only exposed the party's true colour.
Mahatab has found himself increasingly alienated in the ruling party after the controversy erupted. The senior MP was not invited to the launch of signature campaign by the party on Mahanadi river water issue at Cuttack on November 11. Naveen himself had launched the campaign along with other senior members of BJD.