BHUBANESWAR: With senior MPs from the BJD questioning Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s support to NDA’s Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, Congress on Monday maintained that many ruling party MLAs will vote in favour of combined opposition nominee Meira Kumar.
Two senior MPs of BJD, Bhartruhari Mahatab and Tathagat Satpathy, have already questioned the decision of the Chief Minister to support Kovind. There is speculation in the Congress camp that many more BJD MPs and MLAs do not agree with the decision of the party president and may vote for the Opposition candidate.
Congress chief whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati on Monday maintained that many MPs from BJD, Shiv Sena and even BJP will vote for Meira Kumar. Many BJD MLAs will also vote for the Opposition candidate, Bahinipati said and added that there is large scale resentment in the ruling party over support to Kovind. “Large scale resentment among the BJD MLAs is yet to come to the fore, but they are discussing the issue,” he said.
BJD spokesperson and former minister Prashant Nanda, however, ruled out any possibility of cross voting by BJD MPs and MLAs in favour of the Opposition candidate. “No chance of cross-voting from BJD. Bahinipati’s hopes will not materialise,” Nanda said. The BJP also criticised the Congress leader over his statement. “Congress MLAs will cross vote which is evident from Bahinipati’s statements,” BJP leader Samir Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, seven Congress MLAs have left for New Delhi in connection with the Presidential election. Bahinipati said the MLAs will be proposers for Meira Kumar’s candidature. Besides Bahinipati, party MLAs Krushna Chandra Sagaria, Anshuman Mohanty, Jogesh Singh, Jacob Pradhan, Bhujabal Majhi and Chandrasekhar Majhi are at New Delhi.
Tacit understanding between BJP and BJD: OPCC chief
Bhubaneswar: Criticising the Chief Minister for BJD’s support to NDA Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan said the decision was taken for ‘self defence’ and not to protect the interest of Odisha. “BJD is staging agitations against the Centre over Mahanadi river water dispute and special category State status for Odisha,” Harichandan said and alleged that Naveen’s decision to extend support to Kovind has exposed the tacit understanding between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Just as the Chief Minister took the decision on the Presidential election after a phone call from the Prime Minister, why cannot he resolve the Mahanadi dispute, demand for special status and hike in minimum support price on paddy in a similar manner,” Harichandan said. No doubt, the NDA Presidential candidate is a Dalit, but Opposition Presidential candidate Meira Kumar is also a Dalit woman, Harichandan said and called upon the BJD and BJP MLAs to vote for her as there is no whip in Presidential election. Harichandan requested all the 147 MLAs in Odisha Assembly to vote for Meira Kumar and requested BJD to reconsider its decision to support Kovind. “BJD’s slogan is respect to woman, but the Chief Minister is silent on Meira Kumar’s candidature who is a former Union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha,” he said.