Pandemic in Odisha Politics: Prasanna Patasani vs. VK Pandian

Senior BJP leader Prasanna Patasani accuses former bureaucrat VK Pandian of causing the fall of the Biju Janta Dal (BJD) government in Odisha and his departure from the party. Despite a long association with the BJD, Patasani switched to BJP after being denied a ticket, claiming Pandian's influence persists within the BJD.

Senior BJP leader Prasanna Patasani has held former bureaucrat VK Pandian accountable for the collapse of the 24-year-old Biju Janta Dal government in Odisha.

Patasani, a former Lok Sabha and state assembly representative for the BJD, claims he was forced to leave the party due to Pandian's influence. He joined the BJP after being denied a BJD ticket in 2019.

Despite denials from BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty, who referred to a video of Patasani praising Pandian, murmurs about Pandian's lingering influence persist, shaking the political equilibrium in Odisha.

(With inputs from agencies.)