Majhi attacks Patnaik after BJP's resounding victory in Nuapada bypoll

Bhubaneswar, Nov 15 (PTI) A day after BJP's resounding victory in Nuapada bypolls, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday intensified his attack on BJD president Naveen Patnaik and sought to know how selecting the late BJD MLA's son as the saffron party candidate could be termed as "treachery".

Majhi said this while the BJP accorded a grand welcome to Jay Dholakia, who won the Nuapada bypoll with a huge margin of 83,748 votes.

"How is making late Nuapada's BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia's son the BJP's byelection candidate be termed treachery?" the chief minister, who led the campaign in the bypoll, asked.

Majhi, for the second consecutive day, came down heavily on Patnaik for uttering the word 'beiman' (traitor) referring to the BJP and Dholakia family.

The BJD president, while campaigning for the party candidate at Komna area in Nuapada on November 3, had accused the BJP of "candidate chori" and specifically used the term 'beimani' to refer to Jay Dholakia's last-minute switch of party, despite initial indications that he would become the BJD candidate in the bypolls.

"I saw pain and anger in your eyes. You know how betrayal was done to you, to BJD, and to me," Patnaik had said.

Stating that the people of Nuapada have given a "befitting reply" to Patnaik's remark branding Jay Dholakia as a "traitor", the chief minister sought to know from Patnaik whether switching parties amounts to treachery.

He cited some instances of the past when leaders of different parties have joined the BJD, headed by Patnaik, before elections.

Majhi also alleged that despite Rajendra Dholakia's sacrifices, BJD leaders failed to stand by the late MLA during his illness and did not even allow him to meet former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

The BJD president neither attended Rajendra Dholakia's funeral nor attended his memorial meeting, the chief minister alleged.

The Odisha BJP on Saturday held a meeting where Jay Dholakia was given a grand welcome. He was greeted by senior leaders, including Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal.

"Jay will become the pilot of Nuapada’s development," the chief minister said. The government has already made an announcement of projects worth Rs 1,101 crore.

"The people of Nuapada were neglected for 24 years. Now that there has been a change in the government, there will be development of this region," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Jay Dholaia said, "This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to the people of Nuapada. The people of Nuapada have given a befitting reply to the BJD's 'beimani' tag to the Dholakia family".

BJD leader and former MP Pradeep Majhi justified Patnaik's use of the word 'beiman'. "He (Jay Dholakia) and his family have taken maximum benefit from BJD. Rajendra Dholakia was made MLA by the BJD thrice and minister once. The party spent money to ring back Rajendra Dholakia's mortal remains after his death in Chennai and also organised a memorial meeting," the former MP said.

BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra had earlier said that Jay was in touch with his father's party hours before his joining the BJP.

"We were surprised as he joined the BJP without giving any indication regarding the change of his mind. The family members had joined the BJD's padayatra on October 9, a month after Raju Bhai's death. If they were annoyed over BJD, how come they joined the party programme a month after Raju Bhai's death," Mishra asked. PTI AAM AAM RG