‘Naveen violating BJD rules’

Bhubaneswar, Oct 19 (IANS) Suspended Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra Friday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of violating the party’s constitution.

According to the BJD’s constitution, the party president has to call the state executive meeting once in six months.

However, no such meeting has been held for three years, Mohapatra told reporters here.

The rebel leader also said Patnaik had ceased to be the BJD president since July 2010 as there has been no organisational elections in the party.

Mohapatra said the Odisha Jana Morcha (OJM) formed by him was a part of the ruling party and would work to restore the lost internal democracy in the BJD.

He also accused Patnaik of not keeping promises the BJD had made to the people during the 2009 state assembly elections.

Mohapatra, who was Patnaik’s non-official advisor for over a decade, was suspended from the party after he allegedly plotted a coup to unseat the chief minister.

Earlier this month, Mohapatra launched thr OJM, a political forum to establish "internal democracy in the state’s ruling party".

The forum has announced a massive gathering of about 50,000 people here Oct 28.