BHUBANESWAR: A tweet by former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda on Tuesday questioning an opinion poll predicting huge gains for BJP in Odisha has added a new twist to speculations about his joining the saffron outfit.
The BJP is hoping to dislodge BJD from power riding high on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and growing agrarian distress in Odisha during the elections scheduled in 2019.
What has created a flutter in political circles here is Baijayant’s veiled criticism of BJP and his doubt whether the challenger (BJP) has the stomach to truly take on the incumbent (BJD). The former Kendrapara MP had resigned from BJD in May after being suspended from the primary membership of the party in January.
According to political observers, Baijayant’s remarks may have reflected his frustration with BJP bosses for keeping his fate hanging in balance on joining the saffron outfit even as others such as former bureaucrat Aparajita Sarangi has been inducted into the party with much fanfare.
However, a day before the PM’s visit to Odisha, Baijayant tried to downplay speculations over his joining BJP by saying that it was irrelevant whether he joined a political party or formed a new one as fighting against various issues plaguing the State was more important.