BHUBANESWAR: Days after the alliance talks collapsed,
BJD
and BJP have renewed their offensive against each other, with selection of
candidates
for the upcoming elections being the talking point. Till the other day the two had maintained silence and refrained from targeting each other.
On Sunday, BJD came down heavily on the BJP for giving tickets to controversial candidates, some of whom were part of the regional party before they either quit or were shown the door.
BJD also alleged that the BJP has been facing a crisis in getting candidates for the 147 assembly seats. To this, the BJP hit back saying the BJD is scared of its candidates.
"The BJP state unit selected some controversial candidates for the Lok Sabha seats. Those candidates are infamous for their anti-people and criminal activities. This shows the helplessness of BJP's Odisha unit," BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, adding that the BJP is facing challenges in getting candidates for the assembly constituencies.
People will continue to bless BJD: Banki MLA
The BJD highlighted the cases of Gopalpur MLA
Pradeep Panigrahy
and
Chilika
MLA Prasanta Jagadev, who were expelled from the party for their alleged involvement in anti-people and criminal offences. Both joined the BJP recently with Panigrahy getting nominated as the party's candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.
"The BJP is counting heavily on us for candidates. Those who have been rejected by BJD are being picked up by BJP. People will continue to bless the BJD and make
Naveen Patnaik
chief minister for a record sixth consecutive time," BJD's
Banki
MLA Devi Ranjan Tripathy said.
BJP hit back with senior leader Samir Mohanty saying the polls will usher in change in the state. "It seems the BJD is disturbed and scared of our candidates. Their own house is in disarray. The BJD should not poke their nose in the selection of candidates in our party," Mohanty said. BJP's Cuttack LS nominee Bhartruhari Mahtab, too, was vocal against the BJD, saying its fort has started crumbling.
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