Will quit politics if CM doesn't return to power, says Pandian; dares Pradhan to do so if BJP loses

Will quit politics if CM doesn’t return to power, says Pandian; dares Pradhan to do so if BJP loses

JHARSUGUDA: BJD leader V K Pandian on Friday said he would quit politics if chief minister Naveen Patnaik doesn’t return to power with a three-fourth majority and dared Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan to do the same if BJP loses the elections in Odisha.

“I will retire from politics if Naveen Patnaik doesn’t become the CM of Odisha again. Can the Union minister make a similar announcement if the BJP loses?” Pandian asked at a public gathering at Panchgaon Bazar ground in Lakhanpur block of Brajarajnagar assembly constituency.

He was campaigning for BJD’s Bargarh Lok Sabha candidate Parinita Mishra as well as assembly nominees Dipali Das (Jharsuguda) and Alaka Mohanty (Brajrajnagar).

Slamming Dharmendra, Pandian said the Union minister has been disrespecting the CM. “You are coming here and saying that you have worked for the soil, but till now you haven’t been able to fix the national highway, because of which thousands of people have died in accidents. So, where did you get the courage to disrespect our CM from?” he asked.

Countering Pandian, BJP’s candidate for Sambalpur assembly seat, Jayanarayan Mishra, said, “Such arrogance in democracy shows Pandian’s political immaturity.” He said that BJD ideologue Biju babu had lost from four Vidhan Sabha and one Lok Sabha seats in 1971. “One should respect people’s mandate,” Mishra said.

Jharsuguda BJP candidate Tankadhar Tripathy said a person belonging to Tamil Naidu is talking about Odia ‘swabhiman’. “He should keep in mind that Odisha is the first state which was formed on the basis of language. He will get an answer on June 4 itself,” Tripathy said.

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