Orissa BJP split wide open before RS polls

Some BJP MLAs are openly supporting Congress-backed RS candidate despite the central leadership deciding to abstain from voting.

The Orissa unit of BJP is split wide open with some of the MLAs of the party openly supporting Congress-backed Rajya Sabha candidate despite the central leadership deciding to abstain from voting.

On Sunday,the partys central leadership had decided on abstaining from the June 17 election for the three Rajya Sabha seats saying the party would like to maintain equi-distance from the BJD in the State and the Congress in the Cente. Anyone among the independent candidates getting support of Congress with 27 votes out of the required 37 would obviously owe implicit allegience to the determinant party supporting him that is Congress in this context. In the Centre,the BJP would like to checkmate the Congress in all issues,and hence,would not like to strengthen the Congress bogey in the Parliament,” partys spokesman in Orissa Ashok Sahu had said.

BJP does not have the minimum strength of 10 MLAs to put up its own candidate in the election,but its abstaining would mean easy victory of all the 3 BJD candidates who otherwise need just 2 more votes to sail through. The party has 6 MLAs in the current assembly and an independent member Pratap Sarangi who is backed by the party.

But rumbling in the party started after Congress on Monday decided to back businessman Tara Ranjan Patnaik,brother of senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik. Leader of BJP Legislature Party KV Singh Deo yesterday came out in the open with his support to Tara Patnaik,a move which has not gone down well with other 5 MLAs of the party. Patnaik needs the support of all 6 BJP MLAs as well as the lone independent MLA backed by BJP.

Singh Deo said that abstaining would mean the partys support for BJD,its former ally and now bitter rival. His utterances forced party president Juel Oram to announce that the party would reconsider its stand after central leader Venkaiah Naidu visit Orissa on June 10 and holds discussion with the party MLAs.

But BJP sources said at least 3 party MLAs and the lone independent MLA backed by the party were hesitant to support the Congress candidate. A senior leader said the party would find it difficult to explain its preference for Tara Patnaik,whose family members are involved in the multi-crore mining scam. Even Tara Ranjan has interests in mining. I fail to understand how Singh Deo is openly supporting a person whose family members are involved in mining scam. He himself raised the mining scam issue in the State Assembly. If we issue whip to support Patnaik,then the party would lose whatever credibility it has, said the senior leader. MLAs like Pratap Sarangi and Hitesh Bagartti are not comfortable with the party supporting Tara Patnaik. Even tribal MLAs from Kandhamal,Karendra Majhi and Manoj Pradhan have questioned the party’s support for Patnaik saying it would mean auctioning of party’s honour to Congress.

However,party spokesman Ashok Sahu said in politics all that matters is expediency. “If we have to choose between the lesser evil,then we will go for it. For us Naveen Patnaik is the bigger enemy,” said Sahu.

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Meanwhile,BJD sources said the party is trying to get the support of 3 tribal MLAs of BJP who are not happy with some BJP leaders supporting Tara Patnaiks candidature. If the 3 MLAs vote for BJD or abstain opposing a party whip to support Patnaik,it would mean a clear split in the party.