BHUBANESWAR: With the BJD seemingly maintaining a distance from the issues raised by Congress in the Assembly, OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das on Sunday launched a broadside against the regional outfit alleging that it is hand-in-glove with the ruling BJP.
“The BJD is siding with the BJP in the Assembly against the Congress by not raising issues concerning the common people. During the initial days of the budget session, the party raised several issues including neglect of farmers, growing crimes against women and Polavaram issue but now it has stopped it. It is no more functioning as the main Opposition party,” Das alleged.
He said, the BJD has 51 MLAs but the Congress is forced to play the role of Opposition as the regional party is remaining silent on every issue. The government would have been forced to announce a House panel to probe the crimes against women had the BJD supported the Congress, Das added.
He said the BJD faced a rout in the 2024 elections because of its deal with the BJP.
“The BJD had gifted 20 Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in the last election. BJD candidates won in 51 Assembly constituencies but the party failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat in the state,” the state Congress chief said, and sought to know how this could have happened without an understanding between the two parties.