By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhuabenswar, April 16, 2015 :

The ruling Biju janata Dal in Odisha on Wednesday categorically ruled out joining the new political formation of six parties which merged earlier to recreate the old Janata Parivar.

Incidentally, the BJD dubbed the six regional parties – SP, RJD, JD(U), JD(S), INLD and SJP, which merged today under the leadership of Samajwadi Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav – “abandoned by people.”

BJD led by Naveen Patnaik wanted to wait and watch the development in the formation of the Janata Parivar.

“Our party has not taken any stand on that (joining Janata Parivar) issue yet. We are waiting for the future,” Patnaik had said after Mulayam Singh Yadav of SP called on leaders of six political parties, who were once part of the Janata Dal to decide on a strategy to counter the growing importance of BJP in national politics.

BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satapathy was forthright when he said, “BJD’s performance has been different in Odisha and the people of the state have elected us for the fourth consecutive time. The parties that got together today have been abandoned by people. BJD has not discussed any such proposal with them. If we are able to garner support from people of the state as a regional party, there is no need to join a national one”.

BJD’s parliamentary party chief Bhartruhari Mahtab also had taken a similar stance while calling this merger a “phobia” while speaking to a national daily.

“The latest reason for the planned merger is clearly the BJP phobia that parties such as RJD, SP, JD(U) and others are suffering from. Unlike the BJD led by Navin Babu, they have failed to defeat BJP. BJD sees no definite ideological and programmatic factors involved in this merger effort,” Mahatab had said.