NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP in Odisha on Tuesday claimed that several opposition leaders are keen to join the saffron camp, drawing sharp criticism from ex-CM Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which called it an attempt to “divert” attention from law and order issues in the state.Speaking to reporters, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said leaders from both the BJD and Congress have expressed interest, though the party is yet to decide on any induction.BJP MP Pradeep Purohit went further, claiming that the BJD would split “within the next two months.”“The BJD will face the same fate as the TMC in West Bengal and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Many leaders are in touch with us to join the BJP. They may directly join the BJP or form a separate group and support the NDA,” PTI quoted Purohit as saying.Purohit alleged that Patnaik has “lost control” over the BJD and that several leaders are looking to “secure their political future.”Samal, the state BJP chief, however, maintained that the political situation in Maharashtra and West Bengal was different from that in Odisha.“We will take a decision after a thorough analysis of the ground situation,” he added.In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has split into factions led by Mamata Banerjee and leader of the opposition, Ritabrata Banerjee. 20 of TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the little-known National Citizens’ Party of India and have pledged support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.In Maharashtra, six Lok Sabha MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT) joined Shiv Sena, a BJP ally.
‘BJP trying to mislead people’: BJD
“BJP leaders are trying to mislead people by spreading lies about us,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.He further stated that Odisha was making national headlines for “all the wrong reasons”, citing incidents of crime and alleged errors in school textbooks.Mohanty maintained that the BJD remained strong under the leadership of Patnaik.BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo also targeted BJP’s Mohan Majhi government over six vacant cabinet berths, alleging internal differences within the BJP had delayed a cabinet expansion.“They know there will be an explosion in the party if the chief minister expands the cabinet. To avoid such a situation, the government has kept six cabinet berths vacant for two years,” Sahoo remarked.