BHUBANESWAR: A day after the issue of alleged horse-trading by BJD in last year’s Rajya Sabha polls resurfaced through an audio tape, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said he would look into the matter.“The whole matter will be looked into,” Naveen told mediapersons in his trademark style.The Congress, which demanded a CBI probe into the matter, constituted a high-level committee to go into the charges of horse-trading afresh. The committee comprises former chief minister Giridhar Gamang, former ministers Narasingh Mishra and Nalini Kanta Mohanty. An informal meeting of senior leaders of the party was held at the Congress Bhawan here in view of the fluid situation. The OPCC alleged that Naveen was fully responsible for the ‘purchase’ of Opposition MLAs for votes during the Rajya Sabha polls. The two ministers of state, Pushpendra Singhdeo and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, must have acted under the instructions of the Chief Minister, a release here said. The entire truth will come to the fore if a CBI probe is ordered, it said.Singhdeo, however, said the voice in the audio tape was not his. It has been morphed, he said and added that he was prepared to face a probe by any agency.The BJP has also demanded a CBI probe and resignation of the two ministers. The latest exposure claimed payment of money to Lanjigarh MLA Shivaji Majhi to ensure victory of the ruling BJD’s third candidate Baisnab Charan Parida. Three MLAs - Shivaji Majhi, Gregory Minz (both Congress) and Bhimsen Choudhury (BJP)- abstained from polling leading to the victory of all the three BJD candidates even though it did not have the required number of MLAs.Of the 144 votes polled in the 147-member Assembly, one was rejected and another was not counted in view of a dispute relating to violation of election procedure allegedly by an NCP MLA.
Comments
0 comment