Naveen Patnaik slams Baijayant, says he betrayed people's trust

BHUBANESWAR: BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday slammed former Kendrapada MP and senior BJP leader Baijayant Panda, accusing him of betraying the trust of the people of his district. Speaking at an election rally at Rajanagar, which is part of the Kendrapada parliamentary constituency where Baijayant is a BJP Lok Sabha nominee, Naveen said, "Since Kendrapada is known as Biju babu's '

karma

bhoomi' (work place), I had nominated a highly educated person from the constituency. We had high expectations from him. But he has betrayed mine as well as your trust. He has played with people's faith in Kendrapada. It's a disrespect to Biju babu." The chief minister added that "people of the constituency will give him a befitting reply."

Baijayant had won the last two Lok Sabha polls from Kendrapada on a BJD ticket. Earlier, Naveen's father and former chief minister Biju was elected thrice from Kendrapda LS seat.

With Baijayant seeking a hat-trick of wins from Kendrapada, Naveen said, "He was never interested in industrialization of Kendrapada, rather he was more concerned about expansion of his own industries. Employment of the youth of Kendrapada was never his priority. He was busy securing a plum post for himself."

He added, "Since you have voted him twice on my request, I am answerable to you. Development of Kendrapada is now my responsibility. I will personally monitor development of the district." Naveen was campaigning for BJD nominee Anubhav Mohanty, an Odia filmstar and also a

Rajya Sabha

member.

Meanwhile, in an interview to a news agency, Naveen listed three reasons for severing ties with Baijayant. "I was pursuing the development of railways in Kendrapada. A former railways minister laughed and said that 'you are pursuing development of railways in Kendrapada but your MP is only concerned about railway development to his mining companies.' This shocked me," exclaimed Naveen.

"After 2014, a number of my friends from Delhi rang up very concerned because they thought I was in bad health. ...They told me that this is what Baijayant was spreading. This was a shock," the chief minister added.

Naveen listed a third reason which took the relationship to a point of no return. "He (Baijayant Panda) wanted to be chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee. Our party did not have sufficient numbers so he thought he would get the support of the BJP. I didn't think this was a good idea and I didn't support him because of the financial dealings of his company. I didn't think this would be a good precedent," Naveen said in the interview.

Reacting to the allegations, Baijayant told the same news agency that he was disappointed Naveen has reduced himself to a state where he was making wild, unsubstantiated and personal allegations.

"Sometimes he (Odisha CM) cries like a schoolboy, sometimes he says I'm complaining about his health, sometimes he says I'm coveting his chair. In 18 years in the government I have never coveted any post," Baijayant said.

The BJD had suspended Baijayant in January last year. Five months later, he resigned from both the party and as an MP. He switched to BJP in March this year.