Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on March 9 said "rumour" and "lies" are the worst part of politics.
Mr. Patnaik made the remark during a conversation with his close aide and 5T (Transformation) and Nabin Odisha chairman V.K. Pandian.
"Sir, rajanitire sabutu kharap jinisa kan (what is the worst thing in politics)?" Mr. Pandian asked the CM. In his reply, Mr. Patnaik said, "Gujjab (rumour) and michha katha (lies)."
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The video of Mr. Pandian speaking to Mr. Patnaik went viral on Saturday even as suspense continued over a possible alliance between the ruling BJD and Opposition BJP.
The political situation remained fluid all along the day after BJP Odisha president Manmohan Samal and party’s Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar claimed that there was no alliance talks with BJD in Delhi.
Mr. Pandian accompanied by BJD’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das had visited the national capital on Thursday night for tie-up talks with the BJP brass.
While Mr. Samal and Mr. Tomar said there were no talks of an alliance, BJP senior leader and MP Jual Oram on Thursday had admitted that they discussed on the alliance.
Mr. Patnaik’s remark that rumours and lies were the worst part of politics was seen in two different ways.
According to sources, Mr. Patnaik’s response possibly indicated that talks of a tie-up were ‘gossip’ and ‘lies’ or the versions of Mr. Samal and Mr. Tomar that there was no discussion on alliance are ‘gossip’ and ‘lies’.
It was not clear in the video what actually Mr. Patnaik meant and the purpose of releasing it on Instagram.
Sources in both the camps, however, claimed that there was a discussion on alliance between the two parties.
BJD leader Nrushingha Sahu and BJP leader Jual Oram have admitted to the discussion on the alliance matter. However, BJP State president Mr. Samal has denied it.
Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are held simultaneously in Odisha since 2004.
Mr. Tomar, who reached Bhubaneshwar from the national capital, said no leader of the ruling BJD had met him in New Delhi where BJP top brass was holding meetings for the polls.
"If alliance discussions have taken place, such talks with BJD are neither in my knowledge nor we have been informed in this regard," Mr. Tomar said.
However, senior BJP leader and Sundergarh MP Jual Oram on March 6 had told reporters in Delhi that there was a discussion on alliance.
Mr. Tomar asserted that BJP has been making all preparations to fight the elections alone in the State. "We (BJP) will win more than 80 Assembly seats and over 16 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha all alone," he told reporters.
Insisted to speak on the possible alliance between the two former allies (BJD and BJP were in coalition government in Odisha from 2000 to 2009), Mr. Tomar said, "Ask the people who have floated the idea of an alliance in Odisha".
The suspense further deepened as two senior BJD leaders V.K. Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das also remained silent after their visit to New Delhi on Thursday evening.
Mr. Tomar claimed none of the BJD leaders met him in Delhi.
However, senior BJD MLA Nrusingha Charan Sahu on Saturday said alliance or no alliance, BJD is set to win at least 110 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. "I have heard speculations about an alliance. CM Naveen Patnaik will take the final call on that," he said.
Asked whether there was a talk on alliance, Mr. Sahu said, "BJD has agreed to an alliance only in the interest of Odisha. The people of Odisha will be benefitted from the alliance".
During his visit to Bhadrak on Saturday, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, who returned after talks with central leaders from Delhi on Friday, dismissed any discussions on alliance.
"I do not know who is propagating about the alliance in the State. You have to catch its roots. Only the one who started the discussion can answer it. There will be a wave of lotus in Odisha in the upcoming elections,” Mr. Samal said.
