New Delhi, October 29
In a setback to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the rebel Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Prasanna Acharya was today recognised as the leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha by Speaker Manohar Joshi.
“Acting on the unanimous resolution submitted by six BJD MPs, Speaker Manohar Joshi has recognised me as the leader of the Parliamentary Party and Mr Bhatruhari Mahatab as the Chief Whip,” Mr Acharya said.
Mr Acharya, who is away in his constituency in Orissa, said on telephone that a communication about the Speaker’s decision was received today. “Now those who have been running the party in an autocratic manner, should change their style of functioning”, a jubilant Mr Acharya asserted, saying that “we did not want to split the party but only wished to strengthen the inner democracy within the party.”
It means a major political setback for the Orissa Chief Minister as Mr Acharya belongs to the faction opposed to him. Union Minister for Water Resources Arjun Charan Sethi was the leader of the undivided BJD. But the rebel MPs refused to recognise Mr Sethi as their leader.
Another rebel MP, Ms Kumudini Patnaik, said they had received a letter from the Secretariat of the Speaker, confirming Mr Acharya’s recognition as the BJD (Rebel) leader.
Six of the party’s 10 Lok Sabha members had on September 17 elected Mr Acharya as the parliamentary party leader, replacing Mr Sethi, a close confidant of Mr Patnaik.
But neither Mr Patnaik nor Mr Sethi had recognised Mr Acharya as the new party leader.
Mr Sethi, who claimed that he was still holding the support of the majority of the party MPs, had recently sought six weeks’ time from the Speaker to submit his arguments in
response to the rebel BJD MPs claim of new leader.
The Chief Minister had made several attempts to defuse dissension in the BJD Parliamentary Party and offered to hold discussion with the rebel MPs without any pre-condition, to sort out the issue but in vain.
Political observers felt that the recognition of Mr Acharya as the leader of BJD Parliamentary Party would have much political implications in the state where dissident BJD MLAs, led by three expelled party founder members were up in arms to oust Mr Patnaik from power.
Explaining his decision, the Speaker said other leaders had been given time after six BJD MPs submitted their letter last month and “finally we acted according to the rules”.
He said BJD remained one party and only its leader in the Lok Sabha had changed.
In its communication, the Lok Sabha Secretariat referred to the joint letter written by the rebel MPs electing Mr Acharya as the leader in place of Mr Sethi and said “in the light of legal position and the facts on record, the Speaker has decided to accede to your request for change of leader and other office-bearers of the BJD in the Lok Sabha for functional purposes in the House with effect from October 29,2002”.
