BJD will have to pay a heavy price for abstaining in VP elections: Odisha Congress

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8 (UNI) Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Bhakta Charan Das today accused the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of embarrassing the people of the state by abstaining from voting in the Vice Presidential election.

In a press statement, Das alleged that the BJD and BJP are engaged in an undeclared political alliance.
The BJD’s double standards during the recent Wakf Bill episode had already made it clear that both parties were working hand-in-hand, he said.

Das said the Vice Presidential election was an opportunity for the BJD to oppose the NDA candidate and prove itself as the true opposition party in the state.
“But what was feared has exactly happened,” the State Congress President remarked.

He alleged that, as in the past, the BJD once again acted in favour of the BJP out of fear of CBI and ED investigations.

“Abstaining from voting means indirectly supporting the ruling party’s candidate at the Centre,”
Das asserted.
Warning the BJD, the PCC President said the party would have to pay a heavy political price for such actions.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today announced that it will abstain from voting in the Vice Presidential election scheduled for tomorrow.

BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said the decision to abstain from voting was taken after BJD president Naveen Patnaik who is in Delhi, held detailed discussions with senior leaders, Political Affairs Committee and Members of Parliament.
Patra reiterated the party’s stance of maintaining equal distance from NDA and the INDIA bloc.