BHUBANESWAR: Even as the debate over BJD’s support to BJP candidate for Rajya Sabha polls Ashwini Vaishnav continues, Congress on Sunday stepped up its criticism on the issue by alleging that in politics, nobody makes a ‘gift’ without a return.
Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra said perhaps this is for the first time in history that a ruling party has gifted a Rajya Sabha seat to the Opposition.
This is all the more surprising because the ruling BJD has more than adequate numbers to elect its nominees to the three vacant seats, he said.
In fact, the BJD was in a comfortable position as election to the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats will be held separately on July 5.
The BJD, which has 112 members in the Assembly including the Speaker, has a huge majority as BJP has only 23 MLAs followed by nine of Congress.
The Congress veteran also raised questions over making Vaishnav a Rajya Sabha candidate.
Mishra wanted to know whether Vaishnav is a mine owner and if there is any complaint against him.
“If there was any complaint against him, why was it not handed over to the CBI for investigation,” he asked.
Mishra also criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for stating that the ‘gift’ of the Rajya Sabha seat will be beneficial for Odisha.
“Let him spell out what benefits the State will get by making Vaishav a Rajya Sabha member,” he said.
The Congress leader said as a state party, the BJD is not supposed to select a non-Odia to the Rajya Sabha. It means that there is no capable person in Odisha, he said.
The three Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha had fallen vacant following resignation of three BJD members Achyutanand Samant, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Pratap Deb.
While Samant was elected from Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat, Patnaik and Deb were elected from Khandapara and Aul Assembly segments in the recent elections.
The BJD has nominated Amar Patnaik and Sasmit Patra to the two other vacant Rajya Sabha seats.