In Odisha, Assam Chief Minister Sets Cat Among Pigeons

In Odisha, war of words is on full display between the ruling BJP and Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) headed by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The trigger is Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s visit to Odisha last week and publicly saying that BJD has lost its relevance… and that BJP will rule Odisha for the next 50 years. Sarma was in Odisha to inaugurate the newly built Badminton High Performance Centre at Kalinga stadium, Bhubaneswar. It seems Sarma’s accidental utterances to enthuse BJP’s rank and file has now backfired. Seasoned political watchers are saying it’s about time Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi delivers and not resort to rhetoric. The general public is asking why the BJP government has not taken any action against VK Pandian’s massive helicopter tour expenditures, chit fund and mining scams till date after shouting from rooftop during Assembly election campaign. Much to BJP’s recent embarrassment, BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain has openly challenged if BJP has the guts to open files to take actions on BJD. Viewed against this backdrop, Assam CM’s statement seems like a bravado.