BHUBANESWAR: As the BJD battles internal turmoil over rising dissent and increasing number of leaders quitting the party, former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has set the cat among the pigeons by claiming that the regional outfit will topple the BJP government and assume power in the state with the help of Congress and others.
While addressing a public meeting at Mahakalapada in Kendrapara district on Saturday, Atanu said, Naveen Patnaik will again be the chief minister of Odisha. The BJD has support of Congress and Independents, he said.
“Our party has 51 members in the Assembly while Congress has 14 and there are three Independents. There will be a shortfall of only eight to 10 MLAs. A few more MLAs will be required to to stake claim to form a government in the state by toppling the BJP government,” he said.
Similar claims had earlier been made by BJD MPs Debashish Samantaray and Munna Khan as well as former MP Amar Patanik. Congress leader Mohammed Moquim, however, dismissed Atanu’s claim of the party’s support to BJD.
“There is no question of joining hands with BJD which supported BJP government at the Centre on all issues when it was power. The BJD is a party which has no future and Congress will grow on its own in Odisha,” he said.
His statement also drew sharp response from the BJP with the ruling party leaders terming it a ploy to keep the BJD house in order. Lashing out at Atanu, Aska MLA and senior BJP leader Saroj Padhi said,”The BJD leader should know that around 27 MLAs of his party are in touch with BJP. They had held a meeting two days back in Bhubaneswar. Atanu should stop daydreaming and work to stop his party from disintegrating.”