Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sure of BJD win in Bijepur by-poll
BHUBANESWAR: Even as the blame game over violence in Bijepur before the by-poll continued between BJD and BJP, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the ruling party’s candidate will win by a handsome margin.Replying to a question after returning from a two-day visit to New Delhi, the Chief Minister said, “Our candidate will win by a handsome margin.”
Meanwhile, the BJD criticised the BJP and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan for trying to derail the by-poll by creating political unrest. “Be it the shoe attack on the Chief Minister, vandalism in the official residence of his personal secretary VK Pandian or the attack on brother of Labour Minister Sushant Singh, all were part of a conspiracy by BJP,” Rajya Sabha MP and BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said.
Strongly reacting to the allegations, BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said it has now become a habit with the BJD to drag BJP for every violence. “BJD is behind all violence and BJP activists and leaders were also attacked many times during the campaign,” he said and added that the shoe attack was also the handiwork of BJD to gain sympathy of the voters.
The BJD on Sunday alleged that BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra was involved in the attack on Minister’s brother and three others on Thursday night at Sohela. Addressing mediapersons, Singh named Mishra and said he was present when the attack on BJD activists took place.
However, the State unit of BJP refuted the allegations. Stating that Singh pointing fingers at BJP leader for the attack on his brother and three others is very unfortunate, BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty said it is politically motivated. Mishra had been arrested many times in the past during the CM’s visits to Sambalpur and Bargarh, said Mohanty and added that it is not a good sign for democracy.
Some miscreants had attacked Minister’s brother Subrat Singh and his three associates at Banabira in Sohela on February 22 night, leaving them seriously injured. One of the injured persons identified as Dileswar Sahu, driver of the car, has succumbed to injuries.