The BJD leadership has exuded confidence that the ruling BJP won’t be able to break it despite making a hundred attempts.

Referring to the surprise resignation of BJD Rajya Sabha member Mamata Mohanta from the Upper House and the party and joining the saffron party subsequently, the regional party said that the BJP must be daydreaming if it thinks that it can cause a split by just luring just one of its leaders into the saffron fold.

Soon after Mamata, a Mohanta community leader from tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj joined the BJP, BJD leaders, especially those hailing from Mayurbhanj, reached Naveen Nivas and met party president Naveen Patnaik to express their solidarity with him. They said they would work for the cause of the party. Her joining party wouldn’t affect the party base in Mayurbhanj

With Mamata jumping the fence, the BJD is now left with 8 Rajya Sabha members. The total representation in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha is 10. Now the regional party is repenting having backed railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw candidature for the Rajya Sabha the second time in a row. The BJP can easily win the seat vacated by Mohanta as it has 78 MLAs in the 147-member strong Assembly.

Naveen met his party leaders at Naveen Nivas and had just one piece of advice for them. “Be united and go and work for the people. Be with them always in their hard times,” said a leader.

The BJP is trying to poach another two or three BJD Rajya Sabha members by either luring them with promises or through coercion by using the threat of raids by central agencies against their business establishments.