Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday said that the BJP was not adamant on fielding its own candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and only aimed at dethroning the Congress.
Speaking to the media, Pradhan said, “The Congress had their candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha for around 40 years. We aimed to dethrone the Congress and wanted to put up candidates from parties other than the Congress there.”
He also said, “We were never adamant to field a BJP candidate. Those who are now posing questions (in Odisha) about the row, why didn’t they field a candidate from Odisha?”
The response comes a day after the Odisha Congress Pradesh Committee President Niranjan Patnaik alleged that the BJP and the BJD were hand in glove and the regional party was supporting the BJP at most of the crucial times.
Niranjan Patnaik Sunday said, “Pradhan is a practical person. Doesn’t he know about the talks over phone between BJP President Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi with the Odisha Chief Minister?”
BJP spokesperson Sasmit Patra meanwhile termed the statement of Pradhan on the issue as ‘confusing’ and reiterated that the party had been maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.
JAVADEKAR VISIT
Union Human Resource Development minister Prakash Javadekar is on a three-day visit to the state.