Sundargarh/Bhubaneswar: With Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das most likely to join the BJD, similar indications by the two sitting Congress MLAs—Prakash Behera and Jogesh Singh— have put a question mark on the Congress leadership in Odisha.
Briefing mediapersons during a party programme at Kinjijrikela in Sundargarh district on Tuesday, Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh was all praise for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“If a party is able to continuously remain in power, it speaks volumes of the deft leadership of the party supremo. I have no hesitation to say that the people have chosen Naveen Patnaik as their most popular leader and his party has been winning the elections without any hassles,” Singh added.
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Asked whether he had any plans to join the BJD, the Sundargarh MLA said he is in the Congress at present. “Since the people have elected me as their representative, they will take a decision in this regard.
Singh would also be skipping the meeting of Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Bhubaneswar on January 25.
“The schedule of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Odisha was finalized recently. Prior to this, I had scheduled my programme in the rural areas of my constituency. Since the Assembly election is round the corner, I cannot attend the meeting of the party supremo by cancelling my programmes,” he added.
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Asked whether the party leadership will take note of his absence in the meeting of Rahul Gandhi, Singh said the people of his constituency are his high command as they have elected him as their leader. “For me, my homeland is more important than my party,” he pointed out.
Commenting on this issue, senior Congress leader Arya Kumar Gyanendra said he cannot say anything on the personal interest of any of the party leader. “Singh has been elected as a Congress candidate. “But it is true that without any self-interest, no leader of any party will praise the leader of his rival party,” he pointed out.
Asked whether the decision of these leaders to cut ties with the Congress stems from dissatisfaction with the leadership of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik, Gyanendra replied in the negative.
“If Niranjan Patnaik is not a popular leader, then why several leaders of different political parties, including the ruling BJD, have joined the Congress. It will make us no difference if these three leaders decide to quit the Congress,” he observed.
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