Raj Bhavan has become BJP’s ‘war room,’ says BJD

Bhubaneswar: Alleging that Odisha Raj Bhavan is being used as a ‘war room’ for the upcoming Jharkhand elections, the Opposition BJD on Thursday sought clarification from Governor Raghubar Das on whether he was in the race for the chief minister post in the neighbouring State. The BJD’s reaction came in the wake of recent visits by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and veteran BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu to Odisha Raj Bhavan to meet Das.

Additionally, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met senior BJP leaders and Das before embarking on a two-day pre-election tour to Jharkhand. While the Assam Chief Minister clarified that his visit was for personal reasons, the BJD expressed skepticism, questioning the intentions behind the gathering of BJP leaders at the Governor’s residence.

Mounting a strong attack on the ruling BJP, BJD MPs Sasmit Patra and Sulata Deo claimed that the Raj Bhavan has effectively turned into a centre for the saffron party’s political activities.They asserted that the office of the Governor and the Raj Bhavan should remain above politics, emphasising the need to maintain the sanctity and dignity of the Governor’s House.

Deo alleged ongoing discussions suggesting that Das might be seeking to become the next Jharkhand chief minister. “There are rumours that the Governor will contest elections in Jharkhand; he should clarify his position regarding this speculation,” they told reporters.

Speculations are doing the rounds that Das, who was Jharkhand chief minister between 2014 and 2019, wants to return to the politics of his home State.

The BJD leaders also criticised the State’s BJP government for its alleged inaction regarding an incident where the Governor’s son physically assaulted a government official at Puri Raj Bhavan in July.They questioned whether any action would be taken against the Governor’s son, pointing to Majhi’s silence on the matter. “It appears that the State government is shielding the accused because he is the son of the Governor,” they alleged.As of now, Odisha Raj Bhavan has yet to respond to BJD leaders’ allegations.

Reacting to BJD’s allegations, BJP spokesperson Dilip Mallik said, “Now that the BJD is out of power after 24 years, its leaders are biting their teeth. The BJD leaders do not understand civility and social life. There is no harm if a Governor meets a Chief Minister in Raj Bhavan.”

A meeting between the Governor and the Chief Minister of another State may be a matter of courtesy or personal convenience, the BJP spokesperson said in a statement. “The BJD leaders raise the Raj Bhavan issue to divert people’s attention from the infighting in the regional party headed by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik,” Mallik said