After allowing Pyari Mohan Mohapatra to hold rallies in Bhubaneswar, Bhawanipatna, Baripada, Jeypore and Sambalpur, the Odisha Government finally cracked the whip and denied permission for a rally in Berhampur. The OJM has threatened to move the High Court against the government’s decision.

The Maha Samavesa was supposed to be held at the MKCG Medical College & Hospital Ground in Berhampur on March 22. The OJM has sharply reacted to the development, saying “If the Chief Minister can address public meeting at the hospital ground, why not Mr. Pyari Mohapatra or any Opposition leader cannot do so?”

It was speculated that since the Berhampur rally was last in the series of Pyari’s Maha Samavesa rallies, he would make some important announcements and even may trigger a split in the BJD. However, it seems Naveen Patnaik is not in a mood to give even an inch to Pyari and will still rule the roost in Odisha politics for a while.