Bhubaneswar, Jun 24 (IANS): A crucial meeting of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) parliamentary party was held under the chairmanship of the party president Naveen Patnaik at his residence here on Monday.

Patnaik instructed all the nine MPs in the Rajya Sabha to raise issues concerning Odisha in a more sharp and powerful manner. The party also decided to emerge as a strong opposition voice in Rajya Sabha.

Following the poll debacle in the just concluded general elections, BJD for the first time in its electoral history has no representation in the Lok Sabha.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party registered almost a clean sweep winning 20 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections. Congress however managed to retain the Koraput Lok Sabha seat despite the strong Modi wave in Odisha.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, BJD MP Sasmit Patra said that the party will emerge as a strong opposition voice in the upper house of the Parliament and raise issues concerning the interests of Odisha.

“We will emerge as a strong opposition party under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik in the Rajya Sabha. The people of Odisha will witness how BJD will raise its voice on each of the issues in a sharp and powerful manner on the floor of the house. The party president has directed us to raise different issues in the interest of Odisha, be it Special category status for the state, national highway, railway, telecom, digital connectivity, banking, tribal development, youth, education health,” said Patra.

“We the MPs of BJD as the voice of Odisha will raise issues concerning the state in the Rajya Sabha. The party president also instructed that if the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha wasn’t duly respected then BJD will emerge as the strongest opposition in India,” he further added.