BHUBANESWAR: After some party MPs raised questions over chief minister Naveen Patnaik's support to NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, several senior leaders, ministers and MLAs have come out in favour of the decision and said there is no question of difference with the party president on the issue.
Several senior BJD leaders have disapproved the news paper article written by Bhatruhari Mahatab, BJD's parliamentary party leader, questioning chief minister's decision to support the NDA presidential candidate which led Congress to claim that many ruling party MPs and MLAs will vote for opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar.
Senior ministers including agriculture minister Damodar Rout, revenue minister Maheswar Mohanty and party vice-president and minister for food supply and consumer welfare Surya Narayan Patro maintained that such issues should be raised with the chief minister without going to the news papers.
Mohanty today described Mahatab's opinion on support to NDA's Presidential candidate as personal and said that the MP should have raised the issue with the party president. "Discussion of such issues in the media is not in the interest of the party," he said.
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Deb said whatever Mahatab said on support to NDA's presidential candidate by the chief minister is his personal opinion. "Statements given by the party supremo, party spokespersons or any authorised leader on any subject is the party's opinion," he said.