BHUBANESWAR: Politics over the formation of the legislative council in the state gathered momentum after the ruling BJD raised the issue on Sunday stating Odisha should have an Upper House in the Assembly. The Assembly had passed a resolution for the formation of a legislative council in Odisha on September 6, 2018. A three-member committee of the Assembly had visited different states having legislative councils and submitted a report to the government before the resolution was passed in the House.
BJD Rajya Sabha member Munna Khan told media persons here Odisha should have a Vidhan Parishad as is the case with many other states. Khan said he had raised the issue in Parliament. Stating a proposal for the creation of a legislative council had been unanimously passed in the Assembly and sent to the Centre for approval, Khan said the state will benefit from this immensely.
However, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said BJD has been speaking about the creation of a legislative council for the last five years to keep the disgruntled leaders within the party fold. BJD has again raised the issue when elections are less than 10 months away.
Similarly, state BJP general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy said BJD raises the legislative council issue whenever elections are near. He asked why was BJD silent all these days though the resolution for the creation of a legislative council was passed in the Assembly five years back.