By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Son , Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Special Act Implementation Department, Udhayanidhi Stalin have been under BJD radar after the Naveen Patnaik led Regional outfit reportedly not performed well in the last 2 phases of elections to Lok Sabh and State Assembly held on May 13 and 20 respectively.
BJD eyeing on DMK’s help to get Congress support if it fall short of majority in Odisha Assembly, which has 147 Members. Third phase of polling slated for Saturday, May 25. BJP is claiming to form the next Government in Odisha with winning around 15 to 17 Lok Sabha seats of the 21 in the State.
Sources said, BJD anticipating to win around 60 to 65 seats and if it fall short of majority, it may approach Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stain to convince Congress central leadership to extend its support to Naveen Patnaik to restrict BJP to come to power in the State. Even though, BJD leader VK Pandian time and again, saying, party will secure massive majority but reality is something different , for which it now depending on Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and son Udhayanidhi Stalin to get Congress support, which is part of I.N.D.I alliance.
‘BJD is likely to Get 65-75 seats If fall short of majority mark they are likely to forge an Alliance with Congress on Advise of I.N.D.I.Alliance Partner DMK ‘s Stalin and son, Udhayanidhi, sources said.
“After the election in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Modi canceled his ‘Tamilpatalar’ role!He has falsely accused the Tamils of being looters of the property of Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha.Is it cute for a Prime Minister to vilify Tamils in the north and incite enmity between states?Hon’ble Prime Minister should stop behaving so poorly day by day for the sake of votes, forgetting the dignity of the responsibility he holds!, MK Stalin had said in a X post on May 21.
CM’s x post was aimed to rescue his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and his second in command, VK Pandian, who hails from Tamil Nadu from PM Modi’s direct attack.
Since BJP putting all its weight behind Odisha, PM Modi frequently visiting Odisha along with several senior Union Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers of Party ruled States, travelling to the State for election campaigning, winds of change is visible. Apprehending a huge loss, BJD now on a damage control mode and if required ir may take Congress support to form the Government in Odisha. Naveen Patnaik’s late father Biju Patnaik was earlier with Congress. Senior Journalist Ruben Banerjee, who has been covering Odisha elections, since past few weeks, said, VK Pandian is turning like Sanjay Gandhi of Congress.
