By Bizodisha Buereau, Bhubaneswar, March 20, 2015 :

The unexpected support of the Biju Jananat Dal [BJD], to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Bill, 2015 in Rajya Sabha on March 20, – has lent further credence to the speculation of the regional party was inching closure to the saffron brigade.

The BJD leaders, including its president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik, had earlier strongly objected to the Bill stating that some of its clauses were contrary to the state’s interests.

The change of heart in the BJD camp came following the chief minister’s meeting with union ministers such as finance minister Arun Jaitley, coal minister Piyush Goyal and steel and mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar early last week.

It was even reported that the chief minister had a secret meeting with Narendra Modi on March 8.

During the last elections, the BJD and BJP leaders had indulged in fierce verbal battle. While Naveen had dubbed the BJP as “communal,” the BJP had made Naveen’s inability to speak Odia, the main language of Odisha, a major poll plank.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan said the BJD made a volte face on MMDR Bill “as many of its leaders are involved in multi-crore chit fund scam.”

“Since the CBI, which is probing into the chit fund scam has arrested half a dozen BJD leaders in the case, the regional party has no other way than to fall in BJP’s line to ward off further embarrassment,” Mr Harichandan said.

The government had brought MMDR Amendment Bill as an ordinance which was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha. Now the Bill will go to the President for his consent which will convert it into an Act.

The Upper House which had witnessed a deadlock on Thursday rejected the motion moved by the CPI (M) to send the Bill to a Select Committee passed the Bill through a division with 117 votes in favour and 69 against.

Apart from the BJD, the TMC, Samajvadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party voted in favour of the Bill.

The BJD claimed that it supported the Bill in the interest of the state. With the passage of the Bill, all roadblocks have been cleared for auction of mines in the country.