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Four more BJD MPs tell Patnaik to behave

Four Biju Janata Dal MPs have accused party president Naveen Patnaik of 'highly partisan' actions.

In a joint letter, the partymen -- Tathagat Satpathy, Padmanav Behera, Prasanna Patsani and Bhagban Majhi -- urged Patnaik to take the political affairs committee, the BJD legislature party, and the parliamentary party into confidence while deciding party affairs.

The criticism is against Patnaik's inducting four senior Dal leaders and former ministers into the party without consulting other officials.

The incident had snowballed into a major crisis with a section of BJD leaders opposing the move, describing it as a 'unilateral decision.'

Another section, however, had welcomed it.

The first salvo against Patnaik was fired by general secretary Pradeep Maharathy, a former legislator, who asked him either to quit the president's post or respect inner party democracy. Later, two Parliament members -- Bhartruhari Mahatab and Prabhat Samantray -- also took strong exception to the incident.

Now, four more have come out openly against the president.

UNI

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