With the back to the wall now, Naveen Patnaik is suddenly doing what he seldom did before—coming to the Assembly daily, making interventions, giving statements to TV channels, and hitting the streets.
Reeling from electoral setbacks, BJD now faces internal discontent as many senior leaders who had questioned the party's style of functioning have now been demoted to 'in the rank of' positions.
The byelection follows the death of MLA Rajendra Dholakia, a Gujarati businessman-turned-politician of the BJD who also served as a minister in the previous government.
“No one bothered to ask what had pushed her to that point. She was struggling mentally, but the college refused to even listen to her," said Soumyashree Bisi’s friend Kashish.
Group of 10 senior party leaders met BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Friday after whip Sasmit Patra told party’s Rajya Sabha MPs to vote on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 as per their conscience.
Trouble started for her just ahead of assembly polls last year, when ECI ordered her transfer from Mission Shakti after BJP delegation sought the same for 'misuse of public office'.
Shift in its stance evident since it lost to BJP in Odisha polls, BJD also took a swipe at Modi over his remarks in Lok Sabha on BJP steering clear of horse trading of MPs.
The move has drawn criticism from the Opposition. Former CM & BJD chief Naveen Patnaik said BJP ‘renamed more than 40 schemes of my government as their own’.
BJP ended 24-year BJD rule in Odisha after alliance talks failed, while NDA ally TDP dislodged YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh. Both BJD & YSRCP had backed BJP’s legislative agenda.
Organisational infrastructure was limited in 2019 but today the party boasts of 1,005 mandals for 147 assembly constituencies, says state BJP leader Sajjan Sharma.
On 2 August 1958, Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the officers of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission at Tel Bhavan in Dehradun, advocating for oil exploration in the country to achieve self-sufficiency.
Advice comes at a time when India accounts for a 5th of global generic drug supply & 40% of generics used in US. However, this strength in finished formulations relies on imported ingredients.
It’s easy to understand why the government can’t speak the hard truth. When this war ends, as all wars do, India’s interests will lie with both the winner and the loser.
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