Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik has appointed two senior party leaders, Amar Patnaik and Sanjay Dasburma, to represent the party at an important meeting on delimitation scheduled for Saturday in Chennai.
According to a statement from the BJD, the meeting will be organized by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader, MK Stalin, under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC). Former Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik and former state Minister Sanjay Dasburma will participate on behalf of the BJD.
The development comes after a significant interaction earlier this month. On March 11, a two-member delegation from Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK, consisting of TRB Rajaa and Dayanidhi Maran, visited Odisha’s Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik. During this meeting, the DMK delegation extended an invitation for the BJD to join the JAC’s efforts regarding the ongoing discussions about the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, which involves redrawing constituencies based on population statistics.
The DMK representatives also called for the inclusion of the BJD, which has governed Odisha for over two decades, in the JAC’s campaign, urging the party to support their stance on the matter.
Naveen Patnaik’s decision to approve the BJD’s participation in the JAC has stirred political controversy in Odisha. The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the move, accusing the BJD of aligning itself with the DMK’s political agenda.
BJP Odisha spokesperson Anil Biswal stated, “While the entire nation is in favor of delimitation, the DMK is advancing its divisive agenda. Now that the BJD is also joining in, it shows that the party remains under the influence of the Tamil leadership and has not completely freed itself from their political ties.”
The controversy surrounding the BJD’s participation in the meeting underscores the ongoing debate over the delimitation process, which is a significant issue in Indian politics, especially regarding the fairness and representation in parliamentary and assembly constituencies.
