Rift in BJP over selection of party leader in Assembly

BHUBANESWAR: The simmering discontent over selection of leader of the BJP legislature party came to a boiling point with senior leader Jayanarayan Mishra blaming party’s State leadership for tilting the balance in favour of Pradipta Kumar Naik ignoring majority decision.
After maintaining silence on the issue for nearly three weeks, Mishra, a four-time MLA from Sambalpur, aired his displeasure for not being selected as the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Legislative Assembly saying the party has treated him unfairly. Known for his straightforwardness, Mishra said he failed to understand how a majority decision was overlooked.

Recalling the meeting of the legislature party, Mishra said most of the MLAs of the party had supported his name for the post of the BJPLP leader. “I don’t know what happened to their suggestions. The Central leadership can better explain why the majority decision was changed at the last minute,” he said.
Giving enough hint that a powerful section of the party was not in favour of him, Mishra said, “I never believe in lobbying. I have never lobbied for my ticket till date. I have worked for the party and have been sent to jail by our political opponents.”

The former minister, who had performed the duty of the BJPLP leader for several months after K V Singhdeo was elected as party president in 2013, said he will take up the issue with national BJP joint general secretary Soudan Singh, one of the observers for the State.
Asked if the changed political equation between BJD and BJP has any bearing on the party’s decision to select Naik over him, Mishra said after fighting a bitter battle with the BJD, he will not change his stand. The BJP will continue to oppose the BJP both inside and outside the Assembly.
Asserting that he will continue to work as a disciplined member of the BJP, Mishra said he had nothing against Naik. 

Asked if the BJD’s support to Ashwini Vaishnaw has anything to do with the selection of BJPLP leader, Mishra denied to comment. But the people of the State certainly want to know why the BJD having full majority to elect its third candidate to Rajya Sabha extended its support to the former bureaucrat.
Naik, on the other hand, said the unanimous decision at the legislature party meeting was to authorise the Central leadership to take the final call. “The Central leaders decided my name. How can I say why they chose me. It is for them to explain.” For the first time, the BJP acquired the status of main opposition in the Assembly after relegating the Congress to third position by winning 23 seats. The Congress has nine members in the House of 147.