Naveen Patnaik deputes 2 BJD leaders to DMK-powered meeting on delimitation
A BJD statement said the former Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma will represent the party at the Joint Action Committee meeting
Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik has deputed former MP Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma to attend the meeting on delimitation convened by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Saturday in Chennai.
A BJD statement said the former Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik and former minister Sanjay Dasburma will represent the party at the Joint Action Committee meeting convened by Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin.
Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa and MP Dayanidhi Maran met Patnaik at his residence in Bhubaneswar on March 11 to invite him to the meeting.
Delimitation refers to the redrawing of electoral boundaries based on census data, with the next major revision scheduled after 2026, raising fears among southern states of losing political representation due to slower population growth compared to northern states.
Naveen’s go-ahead for the BJD to be a part of the meeting was criticised by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Odisha unit, which accused the BJD of getting closer to the DMK.
Criticising the BJD’s decision to attend the delimitation meeting, food supplies minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the opposition BJD could join the other camp for its security.
“This is BJD’s own decision. We have no problem with the stage set by Stalin on delimitation row. However, the BJD delegation attending the meeting in Chennai has no relevance. The team, which will not play the match, will go for the participation. It does not matter whether the BJD will attend the meeting or not, but the party will be dissolved in future. There is no problem if the BJD changes equation. The BJP and NDA are capable of running the entire nation as well as the state,” Patra said.
