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BJD goes into overdrive

BHUBANESWAR: That the ruling Biju Janata Dal was worried over the coming together of Opposition forces with the proposed merger of the Orissa Gana Parishad with the Nationalist Congress Party became clear with the party inducting some workers from different parties into its fold on Sunday.

The BJD organised a formal function on Sunday where scores of workers from the opposition parties such as the Congress, the OGP and the Janata Dal(S) were welcomed to the party fold in the presence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The OGP, headed by the former Minister, Bijoy Mohapatra, is scheduled to merge with the NCP at a function to be held here on Monday afternoon. Senior NCP leaders P.A. Sangma and Praful Patel are likely to attend the merger function.

JD(S) leader Ashok Das, former BJD leader Amar Satpathy and two former leaders of the BJP Anadi Charan Sahu and Prasanta Nanda are also scheduled to join the NCP.

After welcoming workers from different opposition parties, Mr. Patnaik expressed satisfaction that more and more people were joining the BJD.

About the OGP’s merger with the NCP, Mr. Patnaik said that the party would not have any future in Orissa. “Being a partner in the United Progressive Alliance, the NCP will not have any future in the State,” he observed.

Addressing the new entrants, Mr. Patnaik spoke at length about the measures that his government had initiated for the benefit of the farmers and tribals.

The ongoing mineral-based industrialisation and growth in the sectors such as information technology and tourism would create employment for the people and generate adequate revenue for the State, the Chief Minister said.

Three senior leaders of the BJD – Energy Minister Surya Narayan Patro, Steel and Mines Minister Padmanabha Behera and Women and Child Development Minister Pramila Mallick – also addressed the gathering.

They urged the new entrants to strengthen the hands of Mr. Patnaik to keep the Congress out of power in the State in the years to come. They also criticised the leaders of the OGP and other parties who were joining the NCP.

The BJD had organised a similar meeting and inducted several OGP workers and youth leaders into its fold on July 22 this year when talks about OGP’s merger with NCP had just begun.

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