BHUBANESWAR: The intimacy between
BJP and BJD during the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman's election will prove costly for the former, said senior BJP leader
Bijoy Mohapatra
here on Saturday.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking chief minister Naveen Patnaik after Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election, Bijoy said, "The state BJP has been criticizing the BJD government and suddenly the change in the party's stand towards BJD will be seriously examined by the people of the state. How come you seek support from a party in the morning and then speak against it in the evening? Will people believe you?"
Reacting to Bijoy's comment, state BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty said, "BJP will continue its fight for the benefit of people of
Odisha. There is nothing wrong in seeking support for the Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson post as the NDA did not field the candidate to lose the election. It seems Bijoy Babu is getting friendly with those who voted for us."
Naveen announced his party's support for Harivansh Narayan Singh after Modi and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had requested him to support their candidate. BJP president Amit Shah and Union home minister Rajnath Singh had also sought Naveen's support.
BJD, however, maintained that the party is still keeping equidistance from both BJP and Congress.
"Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post is a constitutional position. BJD waited till the last moment for a consensuses candidate. Since there were two candidates, BJD decided to go with JD (U) as both are like-minded parties. There should not be any politics over the constitutional posts," said Sasmit Patra, BJD spokesperson.
Criticising BJD and BJP closeness during the election, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik tweeted, "The next time you talk to your good friend for the next "deal", do remind him about the superspecialty hospital he promised to the people of Rourkela."
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