Naveen meets newly elected LS members

Bhubaneswar: President of BJD Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met his newly-elected Lok Sabha members at his residence here as they are set to leave for New Delhi.
Though it was an informal meeting, the BJD president advised the new Lok Sabha members to sincerely raise the issues concerning the state in the House.
“Since seven of total 12 members are completely new to Lok Sabha, we have discussed the formalities to be done by the members before new Parliament convenes. There was no formal discussion about any issues in the meeting,” said six-time Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab.
On BJD’s role in national politics, Bhartruhari said the party has already clarified it in its election manifesto. “Whichever party supports Odisha’s genuine demands, we will extend our support to it,” he said.
The regional party has won 12 of total 21 seats in Lok Sabha. While it had fielded seven women candidates, five of them were elected. All the 12 members are likely to visit New Delhi on Monday. Women self-help group leader Pramila Bisoyi, who got elected from Aska parliamentary constituency, said she will raise issues concerning rural women and farmers in the state. BJD’s Kendrapada MP Anubhav Mohanty said he is committed to fight for expansion of railway network in his constituency.
Former Union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu, who got elected from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, said the chief minister asked him to guide first-time members about various formalities and procedures.
“We will all raise our voice for 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, special category status for Odisha and more funds for disaster management,” said Sahu.
The BJD parliamentary party is set to meet again before beginning of the Lok Sabha to discuss various issues to be raised by BJD in the Parliament.
It would also nominate a parliamentary party leader, chief whip and other functionaries in the meeting.