Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik warned the Bhartiya Janta party that people in his state would never allow disrespect for women after BJD candidate Barsha Singh Bariha defeated the saffron party handily in the Padampur bypolls.
Thanking people for Bariha’s victory in a video message, Patnaik told the saffron party: “Let’s work together for the good of the people, for the betterment of Odisha,” Bariha defeated BJP’s Pradip Purohit from Padampur with a margin of over 42,000 votes on Thursday.
“Thank you all for your support and this extraordinary victory. This is the victory of the people of Padampur. I would also like to thank the lakhs of Biju Janta Dal workers for their hard work and determination,” Patnaik said in his video message in Odia.
Patnaik expressed his sadness over the manner the Bharatiya Janata Party behaved, attacking Bariha personally and treating her with complete disregard while she was grieving. After the passing of her father and incumbent BJD MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha on October 3, the Padampur byelections became necessary.
Some people are asking why I didn’t go canvassing for panchayat elections and other bypolls, why I didn’t go in Padampur election for campaigning,
“I want to state here, the way a woman, an educated young woman, a woman who was in grief due to the loss of her father, was disrespected by some leaders of the state Bharatiya Janata Party — it saddened to me.
“I think it was not just a very sad thing for me alone, but for all the women of Odisha,” he said.
“Losing and winning in politics, contesting the elections are different things. But to disrespect, a woman like that is reprehensible. That’s why I decided to stand by Barsha Singh Bariha – like a father, like a brother, like a friend,” he added.
In his video message in Odia, Patnaik praised the people and the thousands of Biju Janta Dal members for their dedication and hard work while also warning the opposition BJP that Odisha will never tolerate anyone who mistreats women for political gain.