Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Lok Sabha member Baijayant Panda, popularly known as Jay Panda, on Sunday said that he is in the “final stages” of deciding the next political plan after his parting with Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik. Speaking to The Hindu before the formal launch of his book, Lutyens’ Maverick, Mr. Panda said he has had “conversations with major national parties but yet to make up his mind.”“I am now in the final stages of deciding of what I want to do. “I am willing to consider all options: it could be joining a national party or being part of a new party that is formed. ‘Political vendetta’Talking about the episode involving his journalist friend Abhijeet Iyer Mitra, he turned it as a case of political vendetta. But even after he apologised and the Assembly accepted his apology, he was in jail for two more weeks,” charged Mr. Panda.

Source: The Hindu January 06, 2019 16:30 UTC