In a complete contrast to its earlier stand of acting as friendly party of the ruling BJP, though it is not part of the NDA, BJD President and fomer Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has asked his party MPs to emerge as a “vibrant and strong” opposition in the Rajya Sabha as the upcoming session begins on June 27.
Holding a meeting with his party MPs after a poll debacle in the state, in which 24-year-old Patnaik’s regime was ended, he also directed the 9 party members in the Rajya Sabha should raise issues concerning the state’s interests in a befitting manner.
Speaking to the reporters after the meeting, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said, “The BJD MPs this time will not be confined to speaking on issues only, but are determined to agitate if the BJP-led government at the Centre ignores Odisha’s interest”.
Patra said that the BJD MPs, besides raising the demand for special status to Odisha, will also raise the issues of poor mobile connectivity and low density of bank branches in the state.
“Odisha’s demand for revision of coal royalty has been ignored by the Centre for the last 10 years. This is causing great loss to the people of the state who are deprived of their rightful share,” he added.
When asked if BJD would continue to maintain its earlier stance of extending issue-based support to the BJP-led Centre, Patra asserted, “No more support to BJP, only opposition. We may go to any extent to protect the interests of Odisha”.
]The BJD has nine MPs in the Rajya Sabha, while it failed to win any seat in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, for the first time since its formation in 1997. The BJD also lost power in the state with the BJP bringing an end to its government of 24 years.
The BJD not only supported the BJP in Parliament on different issues over the last few years but also helped Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw get elected to Rajya Sabha in 2019 and 2024.