Battling to hold on to its fort in the face of heavy offensives launched by the rebel leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra, the ruling BJD in Orissa has called an emergency meeting of the party on Friday apparently to hold its flock together.
The meeting, scheduled to be held in the morning at the party headquarters here under the chairmanship of chief minister and party president Naveen Patnaik, is likely to some crucial decisions, including expulsion of Mr Mohapatra.
Mr Mohapatra was suspended from the BJD on June 1 following his alleged attempt to stage a coup on the evening of May 29.
“We have invited all the executive committee members of the BJD and asked them to be present at the party office by 10.30,” party vice-president Dr Damdor Rout said.
Apprehending that the executive committee might axe him from the primary membership of the party, the rebel leader Mr Mohapatra who formed a separate forum called Orissa Jana Morcha soon after his suspension claimed that the BJD president had lost his Constitution power to dismiss him.
“When Naveen Patnaik has ceased to continue as the party president as the BJD Constitution, how can expel me? According to party Constitution, the executive committee should sit at least once every six months. However, it has not happened since 2010. There are several other clauses in the constitution which the CM, as the president of the party, should have adhered to continue as the head of organisation. But has not observed a single one,” said Mr Mohapatra.