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Bhubaneswar, Nov 6 (IANS) Amid the ongoing war of words over Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik’s charge of “betrayal” during an election rally in Nuapada recently, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday hit back, accusing the opposition party of indulging in several acts of betrayal during the last elections.
Addressing a public meeting in Komna block of Nuapada assembly constituency, CM Majhi criticized Patnaik and other BJD leaders for terming BJP candidate Jai Dholakia, son of late BJD Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death necessitated the bypoll, as a “traitor”.
CM Majhi commented that it would have been better if the scriptwriter of the speech given by Patnaik, known for his politeness, had clarified the meaning of “traitor”.
He cited several incidents, which he alleged reflected the betrayal of the BJD when it was in power.
“Did BJD not betray by bringing in a Congress leader and fielding him as its candidate in the Bijepur elections? Who seduced the declared candidate of BJP in Kakatpur by offering him a ministerial post? BJD should answer this. Similarly, the then Congress leader of opposition in Narla-Kesinga area of undivided Kalahandi was also included in BJD. Who betrayed whom at that time?” CM Majhi asked.
“Therefore, it does not suit the BJD president to call the family of late Rajendra Dholakia as traitors when the party itself has been involved in many such incidents in the past,” he said.
CM Majhi hit out at BJD for fielding Snehangini Chhuria, a resident of Attabira area of Bargarh district, as its candidate for Nuapada by-election, whom he called an “outsider”.
He said that “a warm and hard-working local youth like Jai Dholakia is the most suitable candidate to represent the constituency”.
The Chief Minister said that the dream of a developed Odisha cannot be achieved without the development of Nuapada and assured that Dholakia would complete the unfinished work of his late father.
Earlier in the day, Majhi along with several senior BJP leaders and party candidate for Nuapada bypoll Jai Dholakia participated in a grand road show in Komna block of the district.
–IANS
gyan/pgh