Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday said the BJD will raise the demand for special category state status in the Lok Sabha. Both the UPA and the NDA have rejected Odisha’s long-standing demand for special category state status.
We will raise it again in the Lok Sabha he said on Monday when asked on whether BJD will support the no-trust notice being proposed by TDP and YRS Congress as well as others.
Refusing to give a specific answer on the no-confidence motion issue, the Chief Minister said the BJD will continue to voice its own point of view in demanding special category for Odisha.
It is pertinent to note here that the special category status demand was voiced by the BJD during the NDA government of Vajpayee when it was part of the NDA and Naveen Patnaik was the union steel minister.
At that point in time deputy prime minister L K Advani had rejected the demand. The BJD remained silent and continued in the NDA till 2009 , after which it once again raised the demand for special category state status and has been doing so since then. The NITI Aayog had rejected the demand.
Reliable sources here said the BJD is of the view that the party should take a call only when the notice is taken up and date fixed for discussion. The feeling in the BJD is that at this juncture everything is speculative – if the motion comes etc.
In fact the other parties that have expressed their support like the Trinamool Congress and Left have been posturing, they are yet to issue a whip. Why should we jump in to a speculative matter at this point in time, said a BJD MP.
The posturing will not help us, he added. The fact of the matter is the AIADMK will stick to its guns of the Cauvery water board which the government will not concede before the Karnataka elections, similarly, the TRS is adamant on its reservation related demand and will not budge.
In the process there is very little hope of other business including the proposed no – confidence to be placed, said the BJD leader.