Bhubaneswar: The nine Rajya Sabha members of BJD on Friday unanimously elected party president Naveen Patnaik as chairperson of BJD parliamentary party.
Speaking to the media, Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said the MPs have resolved to work under the guidance of the party supremo. “We will become the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha and raise issues including special status for the state, tribal welfare, women empowerment and development of agriculture and the farming community while taking on the role of a strong and constructive Opposition in the Upper House,” he said.
Patra further stated that the BJD had maintained an aggressive stance during the last session of Parliament though it lasted for juts a few days. “In the upcoming session, we will take up the legitimate demands of Odisha for the development of the state,” he added.
The budget session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on July 22.
The BJD, in the first two terms of the BJP-led NDA, had extended support to the Narendra Modi government in passing several contentious legislations despite not being a formal ally.
Last month, however, the BJD, ousted from power in Odisha by the BJP, joined the Opposition ranks and trooped in the Well of the House, demanding a discussion on NEET in Rajya Sabha last month. The regional party also joined the Opposition’s walkout, which was staged after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar refused to adjourn the House after Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam fainted in the House.
Ahead of this session, Naveen had instructed all the nine MPs in Rajya Sabha to raise issues concerning Odisha in a sharp and powerful manner. The party also decided to emerge as a strong Opposition voice in the Upper House.
Notably, the BJD failed to win even one of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha in the recent elections. While BJP won 20 Lok Sabha seats, Congress managed to emerge victorious in one constituency. Following the poll debacle in the recent general elections, BJD for the first time in its electoral history has no representation in the Lok Sabha.