June 24th 2024.
Bhubaneswar: The leader of BJD, Naveen Patnaik, held a meeting with the party's nine Rajya Sabha MPs on Monday. During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of being a strong and vibrant opposition in the upcoming session of the Upper House of Parliament, which is set to commence on June 27th. Patnaik also urged the lawmakers to raise issues that are crucial for the state in a manner that befits their position.
After the meeting, Sasmit Patra, the party's leader in Rajya Sabha, spoke to reporters and stated that the BJD MPs are determined to not just speak on issues, but also to take action if the BJP-led government at the Centre continues to overlook Odisha's interests. He also mentioned that apart from demanding special status for Odisha, the BJD MPs will also bring up the issues of poor mobile connectivity and low density of bank branches in the state.
Patra further added, "The Centre has been ignoring Odisha's demand for revision of coal royalty for the past decade, which is causing great loss to the people of the state. We will not back down in our fight for their rightful share." He also emphasized that the nine MPs in Rajya Sabha will serve as a strong opposition and that Patnaik has given clear instructions to fight for the rights of the state's people in the Parliament.
In response to a question about BJD's previous stance of providing support to the BJP-led government on an issue-to-issue basis, Patra stated, "We will no longer support the BJP, but only oppose them. We are willing to go to any extent to protect the interests of Odisha." He further added that Patnaik had instructed the MPs to act as a strong and vibrant opposition if the NDA government continues to ignore the genuine demands of the state.
Patra also spoke to PTI and clarified, "There is no question of supporting the BJP. The BJD president has directed us to be a strong and vibrant opposition if the NDA government continues to neglect the legitimate demands of Odisha." The BJD currently has nine MPs in the Rajya Sabha, as they were unable to secure any seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections, which is a first for the party since its formation in 1997.
It is also worth noting that the BJD lost its power in the state to the BJP, which put an end to their 24-year-long government. The BJD had previously supported the BJP in Parliament on various issues and even aided Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in getting elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2019 and 2024. In a meeting with senior BJD leaders on Sunday, Patnaik stated, "As you all know, the BJP has four more seats than the majority mark in the Odisha assembly. Even at the Centre, they do not have a majority on their own. Therefore, it is imperative that we work hard, stay united, and strengthen the party."
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