Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the Nuapada by-poll, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jay Dholakia, son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, has lashed out at BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, accusing him of hypocrisy.
Dholakia, who recently joined the BJP after switching from the BJD, alleged that despite having a close relationship with his father, neither Naveen Patnaik nor any BJD leaders visited or called him during his father’s illness or after his death.
“Naveen Patnaik had a very close rapport with my father, and I considered him a father figure. However, when my father was in the hospital fighting for his life, none of them didn’t even bother to make a phone call or visit him to check on his health condition. Even after my father’s demise, they chose not to attend the condolence meeting. A month later, they are now coming to Nuapada only for election campaign.”
Jay Dholkia further alleged that despite his father’s prolonged association with the BJD, Naveen Patnaik never visited him during his hospitalization. He said, “My father gave his hundred per cent to the party, but they didn’t even show one per cent of that dedication in return.”
Jay Dholakia made the statement in retaliation to BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s sharp attack on the ruling BJP, which he launched while campaigning for the party’s candidate in the upcoming Nuapada by-poll on Monday.
In his speech, Patnaik alleged that the BJD had been betrayed, accusing those who had previously engaged in ‘vote chori’ to form the government of now resorting to ‘candidate chori’. His comments seemed to target Jay Dholakia, who recently defected from the BJD to the BJP and is now contesting the by-poll on a BJP ticket.
