Odisha MP Baijayant defies party diktat, takes to Twitter to air views

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 9:
In clear defiance of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik’s diktat to party men to refrain from making comments in the media on issues pertaining to the party and rather discuss the matter with him, the party’s Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda has again taken to micro-blogging site Twitter to comment on party affairs.
Commenting on desertions from the party (meaning Amar Nayak and Jayaram Pangi joining BJP) Panda has tweeted that he had cautioned the party last week but was contradicted.

He has further added that there is resentment everywhere now as large sections remain unrepresented (meaning no representation from 18 districts in Naveen’s Council of Ministers).
This is what Panda tweeted today:

One gone yesterday, another today. Yet when i cautioned last week, was contradicted. Now large sections unrepresented, resentment everywhr 🙈

— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) May 9, 2017

BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb has reacted to Kendrapara MP’s tweet by making a request to ask a question to the BJP.

“I would like to request our Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda to first ask this question to the BJP before asking it to us. Will he ask the BJP that how they have taken Jayaram Pangi against whom they had taken to the streets demanding CBI probe against him in the Itishree Pradhan case. They had even accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of giving protection to Pangi,” said Deb.

Again, on the issue of non-representation of some districts in the Council of Ministers as raised by Panda, the BJD spokesperson said that all 30 districts cannot be represented.

“On the issue of non-representation of some areas in the Council of Ministers as raised by Panda, no one whosoever is made Chief Minister can accommodate all the 30 districts, since the number of ministers has to be confined to 22 including the Chief Minister. So some districts have to be left,” Deb clarified.