Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan hits back, calls opposition unnecessary
BJD vs BJP Odisha
All MPs Receive Letter from Naveen Patnaik, Raises Concern Over Delimitation
BJD president Naveen Patnaik has cautioned all Members of Parliament from the state regarding the issue of delimitation (re-drawing of constituency boundaries). In his letter, he mentioned that Odisha’s interests could be affected due to the proposed 131st Constitutional Amendment.
According to Naveen, after the proposed amendment, Odisha’s representation at the national level may decline. Earlier, it stood at 3.9 percent, but it is expected to drop to 3.4 percent. This means that among the six states likely to incur losses, Odisha may face a loss of 0.5 percent. He emphasized that this is not just a political loss but could also significantly impact the state’s economic interests.
He urged all MPs to unite for the long-term interests of Odisha, reminding them that the people of the state have elected them to represent their voice in Parliament. Naveen also appealed to raise strong voices in Parliament to ensure that Odisha’s pride and proportional representation remain intact. His letter has now stirred political reactions across the state.
Law Minister Criticizes Naveen
Reacting strongly to the letter, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan criticized Naveen Patnaik. He stated that creating confusion over delimitation does not suit a senior leader like Naveen.
Prithviraj said Naveen should move away from a mindset of indirectly opposing or obstructing the process. He added that the central government is moving towards a historic decision, and creating doubts about seat allocation is not appropriate. According to him, if delimitation leads to an increase in the number of seats, it will benefit democracy.
He further alleged that demanding a special session and opposing the move indirectly reflects BJD’s new strategy to resist women’s reservation. However, no official response from BJD has been received on this matter yet.
BJD vs BJP Odisha
