Despite ideological differences with the Congress, the BJP is most likely to ally with the former to embarrass the Biju Janata Dal in the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections.
Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, who rushed to Orissa on Thursday to hold discussions with the party MLAs with regard to the RS polls, told reporters after the meeting that his party had no sympathy for the BJD.
“Directly or indirectly, we have no sympathy for the BJD. Our party legislators are in favour of supporting the independent candidate,” Mr Naidu said. The BJP is sulking ever since the ruling BJD “unceremoniously” severed its ties with it on the eve of the 2009 Assembly polls. The party is desperately looking for an opportunity to avenge last year’s humiliation. Sources in the BJP said although the party central leadership had initially decided to abstain from voting because of Independent candidate Tara Ranjan Patnaik’s closer links with the latter, it subsequently changed its mind as the party MLAs built pressure on state president Jual Oram and Legislative Party leader Kanak Bardhan Singhdeo to participate in the voting. They contended that non-participation in voting would help the BJD get all its three candidates elected and the BJP would miss a “golden chance to teach a lesson to the “betrayer”.
The BJP has got six legislators and one associated member in the Assembly.
***
C’garh: 1 each for BJP, Cong
Rabindra Nath Choudhury
Raipur
June 10: Congress general secretary Mohsina Kidwai and senior BJP leader Nand Kumar Sai were on Thursday re-elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Chhattisgarh.
Both were declared elected uncontested by the Assembly secretary-cum-returning officer Devendra Verma after the deadline for withdrawal of nomination expired at 3 pm on Thursday. Ms Kidwai and Mr Sai were the only two nominees who filed their nominations for the biennial elections to two vacant RS seats from Chhattisgarh.