My loyalists still in ministry: Pyari

The ministry expansion, effected by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, may have given the impression that loyalists of Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra have been purged and the ministry is now packed with Naveen loyalists.

  However, Pyari’s statement after his return from Delhi on Saturday has further created confusion in the party. “There are still some, who were involved in the so-called May 29 coup to remove Naveen, continuing as ministers now,” Pyari told this paper.

 “How can he clean the Cabinet fully of my loyalists?” Pyari asked and added there are still some people continuing. ‘’Of course, barring one or two, everybody in the ministry has very excellent relationship with me even now,’’ he said.

 Pyari, however, reiterated that there was no coup attempt against the Chief Minister on May 29. Naveen had been made to believe that an attempt was being made to dethrone him, but actually there was no such thing. Four or five MLAs in groups met me that evening to discuss the present political situation, he said and added ‘conspiracy’ is being hatched now.

 The Chief Minister had suspended Pyari along with two MLAs __ Bibhuti Balabantray and Prabhat Ranjan Biswal __ for their alleged role in the May 29 incident. Ministers Anjali Behera, Sanjeeb Sahoo and Sarada Prasad Nayak were also dismissed for their reported involvement in the coup attempt.

 After more than two months of the incident, Naveen dropped five more ministers __ Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Prafulla Samal, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Pratap Jena and Pushpendra Singhdeo __ and inducted nine during the ministry expansion on August 2.

 The ministers were removed as they were considered close to the dissident Rajya Sabha member and reported to have tacitly supported the coup plan. However, the choice of the new ministers has drawn flak from the Opposition political parties. There is also discontent in the BJD as several MLAs, who had played a role in foiling the coup attempt, have been ignored.

 The media cell chairman of the OPCC Narasingha Mishra alleged that several ministers, with below-par performances, are still holding their posts while several ministers, who were dropped on corruption charges in the past, have been welcomed back.