**Bhubaneswar:** BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra on Sunday questioned Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan if he is such a vibrant leader why has he turned into a scaredy-cat politician. The reaction came after Pradhan, earlier in the day, alleged the State Government of non-cooperation in implementation of various Central schemes.
Patra said Pradhan was elected for the first time in the year 2000, as a member of the Odisha legislative assembly, by grace of BJD supremo-cum-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Same was the case in the year 2004, when Pradhan was elected to Lok Sabha. However, without support of Patnaik, he lost the Lok Sabha elections in the year 2014.
From then onwards, Pradhan doesn’t have the courage to contest elections from Odisha, said Patra while questioning the former why is his name not included in the list of candidates released by BJP for 2019 elections.
Patra further called on Pradhan to prove his claim, that the winds of change against BJD have started blowing in Odisha, by contesting from the State and emerging victorious. The BJD spokesperson asked Pradhan if he has the courage to raise many issues, let him declare from where he will be contesting the elections.
Pradhan believes in back door politics and adopted the same to be a MP from Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, alleged Patra daring the former to contest the elections face to face. He may be afraid of losing his MP seat after facing defeat in the elections, Patra added.
