Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Chairman of the 5T, V K Pandian, responded to the BJP’s attack on the BJD administration in Odisha on Monday by criticizing the Centre for supporting the Chhattisgarh government on the Mahanadi water sharing issue.
“You can clearly seen in their affidavit how they joined forces against Odisha government in the Supreme Court to thwart formation of the Mahandai tribunal. A Union Minister from the state also had a role on it. We fought against them and finally got an order in our favour from the court. Had the tribunal not formed, Chhattisgarh would have continued building barrages over the Mahanadi. It is because of the efforts of CM Naveen Patnaik that Odisha can now expect justice on the issue,” he said in an indirect dig at Dharmendra Pradhan, who is contesting from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, through a video message on Instagram.
He continued, saying that Mahandi is Odisha’s lifeline and that politicians shouldn’t have gotten involved in the issue. The BJD has been probing the Union Minister about his procrastination on the matter and accusing him of hatching plans to bring about the Mahanadi tribunal’s downfall. In contrast, Pandian has been depicted by the saffron party as the embodiment of corruption and poor governance during the BJD’s tenure in Odisha.
In another video message, Pandian spoke about the BJD government’s efforts to strength the middle-class, whom he described as the engine for growth in the state. “The CM Naveen Patnaik has done a lot for the middle-class. The BJD manifesto for 2024 has four provisions for them. The CM has decided to reduce the burden on the middle class by giving BSKY Card to almost the entire state, interest subvention on home loans up to Rs 20 lakh, and Nua-O scholarship, which will ensure interest subvention on educational loan for their children. You can also travel at concessional rates in public transport,” he said.
