TNI Bureau: Reacting to the controversy over the Chief Minister’s official residence in Delhi, BJP state general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy alleged that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has reached a state of extreme political frustration after being rejected by the people of Odisha.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office, Biranchi Narayan Tripathy said the BJD is an “ideologically declining political party” and is now driven by fear of the BJP.

He accused the BJD of creating unnecessary controversies to remain in the media. He said that while in power, BJD leaders, including the former Chief Minister and ministers, rarely stepped out and took decisions from within their residences, coming before the public mainly during elections. He added that during visits to Delhi, the former Chief Minister stayed at his ancestral home and did not feel the need for an official residence.

Defending the Odisha government’s decision to have an official residence in Delhi, Tripathy said the present government under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is working actively for the development of the state in coordination with the Centre. He said the Delhi residence is required for the smooth functioning of the Chief Minister’s office and official work.

He further pointed out that Odisha is not the only state to have an official residence in Delhi. States such as Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan also have official government residences or offices in the national capital.

Biranchi also accused the previous BJD government of inconveniencing the public by barricading public roads near the former Chief Minister’s private residence, ‘Naveen Niwas’, and altering airport boundary walls, which he said caused hardship to common citizens. He claimed that excessive police deployment was also provided for close associates during the previous regime.

Stating that the people of Odisha have placed the BJD in the role of the main opposition, Tripathy said the party should introspect on how many issues related to Odisha’s interests have been raised by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly over the past 17 months.

Calling the BJD a declining force in Odisha politics, Tripathy claimed the party is losing its leaders, from panchayat-level representatives to MPs, to the BJP. He alleged that the BJD is making such statements out of desperation to stay politically relevant.

Earlier, Senior BJD Spokesperson Lenin Mohanty dropped a bombshell today, by levelling serious allegations against CM Mohan Majhi. Lenin alleged that a person named ‘Jaiswal” has become the “Super CM” of Odisha.

While speaking about CM Mohan Majhi’s Delhi Residence, Lenin Mohanty listed out the details of expenses and questioned whether it was really necessary. Lenin alleged that CM Mohan Majhi has taken a bungalow in Delhi to check Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“Who is that Jaiswal? Why is he so powerful”, asked Lenin Mohanty. “Jaiswal is extremely close to the Chief Minister. For whom he has bought 300 acres of land”, he asked further.