JAGATSINGHPUR: There is a political vacuum in Odisha due to the failure of the BJD and BJP governments, as well as the Congress, said former MLA Mohammed Moquim at a meeting here on Thursday.
Moquim attended a public programme titled ‘Bandhu Milan’ in Jagatsinghpur and appealed to local youths to support a new party which he is mulling to float.
Addressing the gathering, Moquim said that the BJD ruled the state for 25 years, yet nearly 80 lakh people are still not self-sufficient and remain dependent on free rice. There is a lack of employment opportunities for youth and insufficient funding support, resulting in rising unemployment.
He said, even after 20 months in office, the BJP which came to power in the state in the name of ‘Odia Asmita’ has failed to effectively run the government. As a result, development has not progressed as expected and farmers are facing difficulties in selling paddy at procurement centres.
He criticised the state leadership of Congress and said the party at the Centre has deteriorated over time. Referring to Rahul Gandhi, he alleged that the party has weakened in several states and pointed out that in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, the Congress failed to win a single seat in the last Assembly elections.
He stressed the need to form a political party dedicated to protecting the interests of the Odia people. Several youth leaders from Congress, BJD and BJP who had reportedly been sidelined by their respective parties extended their support to Moquim.