Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray today accused late Congress MLA Subal Sahu’s family of having received Rs 3 crore and a flat in Bhubaneswar for joining Odisha’s ruling party-Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

“BJD lured Subal Sahu’s family to join it. BJD has given a flat in front of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and Rs 3 crore to Subal Sahu’s family to join it,” alleged Routray.

The senior Congress leader, however, said that his party was not in a hurry like the BJD to announce its candidate for the yet to be notified Bijepur bypoll.

“We are not in a hurry like the BJD which thinks it will be able to fetch sympathy votes in late Subal Sahu’s name. Let the notification for the Bijepur bypoll be out, we will announce our candidate,” Routray said.

On the other hand, BJD has refuted Routray’s allegation while terming it as imaginary and not true.

“The allegation made by the Congress is imaginary. There is no truth in it. Let them go and ask Subal Sahu’s family why they quit Congress,” said Prashant Nanda, in his reactions on Routray’s allegation.

It may be recalled here that former Bijepur MLA Ashok Panigrahi had levelled similar allegation against late Subal Sahu's family. Panigrahi had alleged that BJD had given a flat in Bhubaneswar and Rs 2 crore to Sahu’s family to join it.

Subal Sahu’s son Sumit Sahu has also refuted allegations made by the Congress against his family.

“It’s completely false allegation. We don’t have any flat in Bhubaneswar. Let them first verify from the sub registrar’s office before making allegation against us. It’s baseless and false. Barpalli people know to which family we belong to. Ours is an established family here, local people know that. Congress is alleging we have received Rs 3 crore while Ashok Panigrahi has alleged that we have taken Rs 2 crore. Let them first decide how much money was given to us and how much they have received. It’s not proper to make false allegations,” remarked Sumit Sahu on the allegations made against his family.

It is worth mentioning here that few days back BJD president Naveen Patnaik named Subal Sahu’s widow Rita Sahu as his party’s official candidate for the Bijepur bypoll.

Earlier, Rita with hundreds of supporters had joined the BJD in presence of Patnaik at the BJD’s state headquarters.