By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 3, 2017 : Odisha chief minister and the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik is exploring possibilities of bringing back all the veteran leaders – who were ether expelled or had quit the party on their own – into the party fold.

The exercise is primarily aimed at countering resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) multi-pronged strategies to unseat it from power in 2017 assembly elections,

Mr Patnaik on Wednesday hinted about his change of mind with regard to the expelled and other leaders while interacting with reporters here after meeting with the newly elected panchayat representatives of Kalahandi district.

“Yes, I will consider the proposal of bringing back senior leaders to the party on case to case basis,” Mr Patnaik said fuelling speculation that BJD founder members Bijoy Mohapatra and Dilip Ray who are now in BJP might stage a comeback to the party as they have been “sidelined” in their present party.

Besides, as analysts predict, expelled BJD leader Prafulla Ghadai, Congress stalwart Bhakta Das and Ramakrushna Patnaik might also rejoin the party.

Sources said the Odisha chief minister is currently under tremendous pressure from the BJP to hold his flock together. BJD’s setback in recently concluded rural polls has also made him take a soft stand on the veteran leaders who he had in the past shunted out anticipating threat from them to his position.

If Naveen succeeds to bring back some of the veteran leaders, especially those who are now with the BJP or planning to join that party, – he can at least insulate himself against further damage from the side of the saffron brigade, analysts said.