Nuapada: A group of women BJD leaders Wednesday urged late party MLA Rajendra Dholakia’s wife, Kalpana, not to fall into the trap of the BJP and dubbed her son as ‘Ku-Putra’ (bad son).
The group of women leaders comprising former minister Tukuni Sahu, MLA Barsha Singh Bariha, former MLAs Alaka Mohanty and Dipali Das, in a joint press conference here, came down heavily on the BJP candidate of Nuapada bypoll Jay Dholakia, son of Rajendra Dholakia.
They accused Jay Dholakia of being sold out to the BJP after the death of his father.
Tuesday, Kalpana Dholakia had alleged that the regional party had neglected her husband during his final days. Kalpana also alleged that her husband was mentally disturbed for being ignored by the party to which he had served for over two decades.
The BJD women leaders denounced Kalpana’s allegation and claimed that her statement against the BJD and its leader was a false and shameful remark. In a statement, they slammed BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, who was earlier tipped to be fielded by BJD in the Nuapada by-polls.
Jay, after the death of his father, sold himself in Delhi. Why did Jay sell himself in Delhi? His mother, Kalpana Dholakia, must answer, the BJD women leaders said while launching a counterattack on Kalpana.
Former Minister Tukuni Sahu, who lost her husband and BJD leader Abhimanyu Sahu at a young age, said I was completely shattered after the death of my husband. My children were young. Naveen Patnaik stood by me and made me an MLA and then a minister. How can Kalpana Bhabi make an allegation that the BJD ignored her husband, she asked.
Sahu claimed that Patnaik had first offered a party ticket to Kalpana to contest in Nuapada. However, she turned it down, saying that she was unable to speak the Odia language. Then the party ticket was offered to her son, Jay. He (Jay) is on record saying that he has the blessings of Naveen Patnaik and would contest the bypoll as a BJD candidate. However, later he went to Delhi and sold himself, Sahu alleged.
Claiming that Kalpana Dholakia is speaking the language of the BJP, Sahu said, Raju Bhai passed away September 8. Kalpana Bhabi and her son Jay were all along with the BJD. Kalpana Bhabi participated in a BJD padyatra October 9 at Nuapada. If she was unhappy, then why did she participate in the party programme? She is making false allegations at the instruction of the BJP, which could go to any extent.
Alaka Mohanty, ex-MLA from Brajrajnagar, said, My husband Kishore Mohanty was a senior BJD leader and ex-speaker. After his death, Naveen Babu stood by my family and got me elected to the assembly. Patnaik is a father figure for all in the party.
Dipali Das, the daughter of ex-minister Naba Kishore Das, said that after the death of her father, she was given a party ticket and got elected to the Assembly. Naveen Babu has been very kind to all of us, she said
Barsha Sigh Bariha, the sitting BJD MLA from Padampur, said, My father, an ex-minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, died, and Naveen Babu got me elected to the Assembly. He is a father figure to all of us. It is wrong to say that Patnaik neglected the Dholakia family.
Kalpana Dholakia Tuesday had claimed that her son Jay joined the BJP not for any money but for the development of Nuapada and to fulfil the unfinished work of his father.
Senior BJP leader and former MP Basant Kumar Panda, at a press meet, rejected the allegation of BJD women leaders.
How can the women leaders from different districts call Jay, the son of the soil, as ‘Ku-Putra’ (bad son)? It is his father, mother or the family who can assess him, not the women leaders of the opposition party hailing from different places, Panda said.