Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), May 10: Amidst heated campaigning for the upcoming elections in Odisha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader V K Pandian made a bold statement, vowing to step away from politics if Naveen Patnaik doesn’t secure his sixth term as Chief Minister with a three-fourth majority on June 9.
Addressing a rally, Pandian took aim at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for their party’s assertions about forming the next government in Odisha.
Challenging Pradhan, Pandian asserted Naveen’s forthcoming re-election with a three-fourth majority in the state Assembly, scheduled for June 9 according to the ruling party’s timetable. Pandian went on to declare his intention to retire from politics if Naveen’s re-election doesn’t materialize with 75% support on June 9.
Furthermore, Pandian urged Pradhan to make a similar commitment, suggesting that if the BJP fails to wrest control from the BJD as per Pradhan’s claims, the senior BJP leader should also vow to exit politics.
With Pradhan championing BJP’s potential victory over BJD in the upcoming polls, Pandian challenged him to stand by his words and pledge to leave politics if BJP falls short of this objective.
