JD to consolidate anti-Cong forces in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR, Dec 13: Naveen Patnaik, former Janata Dal MP and son of late Biju Patnaik, on Friday said that he would work for consolidating...

BHUBANESWAR, Dec 13: Naveen Patnaik, former Janata Dal MP and son of late Biju Patnaik, on Friday said that he would work for consolidating the anti-Congress forces in the State in the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha. Talking to newspersons on his arrival from New Delhi, Patnaik parried newsmen’s query on the formation of a regional outfit. "Wait and see," was his response to persistent questioning. Patnaik said he would have to consult his party colleagues before deciding the future course of action. "We will sit together and take a decision which will be for the good of Orissa," he added.

The JD leader said Congress was the number one enemy of the Dal in the State. Patnaik, however, ruled out joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Minister Dilip Ray, former ministers Bijay Mahapatra and Prasanna Acharya also returned to Bhubaneswar on Friday from the Capital.

The return of the dissident leaders from New Delhi charged up the political atmosphere here with different groups in the JD holding separate meetings. While the supporters of Bijay Mahapatra met in his residence, the members of the Western Orissa lobby met separately to take stock of the situation.

Earlier in the day, 14 JD MLAs met in the residence of senior Dal leader Ramakrushna Patnaik to take stock of the latest situation. The MLAs reportedly requested Ramkrushna Patnaik to persuade Naveen Patnaik not to take any precipitate action without consulting the party rank and file. Those who attended the meeting included Prafulla Ghadei, Bijoyshree Routray, Amar Prasad Satpathy, Maheswar Mahanty and Bishnu Das.

Sources in the Janata Dal said parleys and meetings between different groups in the JD would continue and a final decision regarding the formation of the regional outfit is likely around Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Central leadership of the party launched damage control measures to hold back the dissidents in the party. Prime Minister I K Gujral, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Dal president Sharad Yadav yesterday persuaded Naveen Patnaik not to quit the party.

Sources said that the Central Dal leadership has impressed upon the dissidents not to split the party formally.

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The central Dal leadership, sources said, would ignore the issue if the State unit could manage to have tacit seat understanding with BJP.

Moves are also afoot to revitalise the State unit of the JD. Sources said that the State Dal president Ashok Das has offered to quit both the posts he holds now. Besides the post of president, Das is now the leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. Sources said the post of State unit president was offered to Naveen Patnaik by the Central leadership. But he has declined to accept it.