Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has suspended its MP Baijayant Panda from the primary membership of the party – a culmination of tussle between Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and the lawmaker from Kendrapara, which was for long the seat of Naveen's father Biju Patnaik.
Minister and party vice president Surya Patro announced the suspension of the MP through a statement. It said Panda targeted Party for not nominating him for chairmanship of the standing committee of Finance due to conflict of interest.
The statement said: “ Panda, vice-chairman of IMFA, was desirous of becoming the chairman of standing committee on Finance in Lok Sabha and expressed the same to the party leadership. He also stated that BJD, being the fourth largest party in the Parliament may not be favoured with Chairmanship of the standing committee of Finance. However if he is nominated, he stated he would be able to lobby and get it.”
“ Panda is the Vice Chairman of IMFA and has drawn annual salary and allowance of Rs 1 crore, forty five lakhs, twenty seven thousand, seven hundered and forty seven in 2004 and there has been a huge loan waiver running into thousands of crores of IMFA which is still a subject of matter of debate.”
“ Apprehending serious conflict of interest which would have compromised the interest of the state and the country vis-a-vis a corporate, the party leadership refused to nominate Panda for Chairmanship”
Panda’s bricks for the Chief Minister and bouquets for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's various schemes was a great breather for BJP.
"After this Panda has been directly and indirectly indulging in activities aimed at weakening BJD, whether it is the Parliament, state constituency or media space –no opportunity was missed by Panda to criticize BJD and eulogise the opposition."
Responding to his suspendion, Panda tweeted: "I'm shocked at this news. Very very sad Naveen_Odisha didn't see thru the conspiracy agnst me led by an IAS ofcr now controlling th party."
"I vehemently deny the allegations agnst me, they are entirely false & baseless."
