No revolt in Odisha government, claims Jay Panda

New Delhi - Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Jay Panda on Wednesday denied reports that there is dissidence within the party against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. There is no crisis. We will deal with events if they change," Panda said.

"I can tell you, although I don't want to speculate, but I don't think there is any such real crisis. It has been exaggerated. As you know, many of the MLAs who are supposed to have gathered yesterday, had subsequently come out and clarified they were discussing logistics the 'bandh' that the BJD had announced on the fuel price hike issue. Some of MLAs have gone to Naveen babu's house in Bhubaneshwar to clarify that there are still with him," Panda said.

"There is only one Chief Minister of Odisha. He has completed 12 years. Everyone in Odisha considers Patnaik as the BJD head and the Chief Minister," he added.

The clarification came after reports claimed that a powerful section within the ruling BJD, led by a former close aide of Patnaik Pyarimohan Mohapatra, had fallen out with the Chief Minister.

The trouble started in Odisha after it was reported that at least twenty-five BJD MLAs including four senior ministers yesterday night met at senior party leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra's Bhubaneswar residence in the absence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is in United Kingdom

A late night meeting of BJD MLAs at Mohapatra's residence sparked the speculations of trouble for the Chief Minister, who is currently in United Kingdom.

The four ministers who attended the meeting presided by Mohapatra included Women Child Development Minister Anjali Behera, Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra, Minister of Food, Civil supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sarada Prasad Naik and Minister for Commerce and Transport Sanjeev Sahoo.