Bhubaneswar, May 30 : Senior BJD leader and MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra today alleged that a gangster has been hired by one of his party MLAs to kill him.
"A Kolkata-based gangster has been engaged by an MLA of our party. I will not disclose the name of the MLA. I will tell everything to the Chief Minister," Mohapatra told reporters here.
He claimed that a group of six persons had already said in public that they would "eliminate" him.
"I feel threat to my life as six people are roaming in the state carrying my photograph. I have informed the matter to the police," he said.
Mohapatra further alleged that "about 50 musclemen were roaming near my residence at Saheed Nagar last night. We could go to sleep only at about 3 am after police drove them away".
On the reason behind he being the target of the "conspirator", Mohapatra said the group wanted to eliminate him in order to target the Chief Minister.
"There is a group of conspirators wanting to fulfil their interest by creating difference between me and the Chief Minister," Mohapatra said, adding, he had been working hard to safeguard the interest of both the Chief Minister and the regional party.
Meanwhile, a day after some BJD MLAs met Pyari Mohan Mohapatra fuelling speculation of dissidence, over 60 party legislators today gathered at the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is away in London, to express loyalty to him.
"Naveen Patnaik is the supreme leader in the BJD. More than 60 MLAs and ministers are waiting at Naveen Niwas for the chief minister to return," BJD Vice-President Damodar Rout told reporters here.
Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai said of the 104 MLAs of the party, over 60 were at Naveen Niwas and more would arrive.
Significantly, Housing and Urban Development Minister Sarda Nayak, Transport Minister Sanjeev Sahu, Women and Child Development Minister Anjali Behera and Energy Minister Atanu S ayak, who attended the meeting at Pyari Mohan Mohapatra's house in Saheed Nagar last night, were not seen at Naveen Niwas.
Four MLAs, who attended the dissident camp meeting, however, were also present at Naveen Niwas. The BJP MP, on his part, claimed that he was unaware of reports that legislators close to him were holed up at a luxury hotel here.
The chief minister was expected to return to Bhubaneswar soon. "It is not practically possible to reach here from London quickly. Patnaik is likely to return tomorrow," an official at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
Yesterday, the chief minister had told PTI in London that in his absence an MP of his party was stirring trouble against his government and trying to divide the BJD which was deplorable.
Earlier, Mohapatra said "There is absolutely no threat to Naveen Patnaik from me. He is completely safe as chief minister as he is the leader of the BJD."
