BJP, RS poll runner threaten to sue BJD

BJP, RS poll runner threaten to sue BJD
Bhubaneswar

The issue of horse-trading in the 2010 Rajya Sabha election is by all probability fast turning out to be a major political catastrophe for the ruling Biju Janata Dal, with the Opposition BJP and the defeated Independent Rajya Sabha candidate Tara Ranjan Patnaik threatening to go to the court.

“Since Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is on a mission cover-up, the BJP would file a PIL in the Orissa High Court seeking a CBI probe into the authenticity of the two audio tapes released by the media concerning the horse-trading,” said State BJP president Jual Oram. “We are in the process of consulting legal experts, he added.

While the Opposition BJP and the Congress, including sacked Congress MLA Shivaji Majhi, are demanding a CBI probe to unearth the truth, and also two Ministers Pushpendra Singh Deo and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who are accused of being involved in the horse-trading, have dared to face any inquiry, what prevented the Chief Minister to refer the issue for a through probe into by the Central investigating agency, he questioned.

Alleging that the Chief Minister himself was part of the unethical horse-trading of MLAs to ensure the victory of the third candidate of the party in the 2010 Rajya Sabha elections despite lack of numbers, Oram said Patnaik had undertaken a dilatory tactics and a cover-up mission by referring the issue for examination of Home Department which is directly under him.

Besides, he reiterated that how could the Home Department take up investigation against the Chief Minister and the two tainted Ministers. He said if the Chief Minister has the guts, he should suo motto refer the matter to the CBI to prove his transparency and democratic ethics.

Meanwhile, the defeated Opposition-sponsored Rajya Sabha candidate Tara Ranjan Patnaik said, “Since my name had been dragged into the horse-trading row through an audio tape released by a private TV channel, I am contemplating to file a defamation suit.” Patnaik said he was in touch with his legal adviser and very soon necessary steps would be taken.

While the first tape released by a TV channel revealed that two Ministers had bargained with a middleman to secure the support of Congress MLA Shibaji Majhi for money, the second tape claimed that former Minister and BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishara was acting as the middleman to woo his party MLA Hitesh Bagarti for money to vote for the Opposition sponsored candidate Patnaik.