Bhubaneswar, May 30: Countering the allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is working for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that it is the Congress which is in the "pockets of Odisha CM" adding that Wayanad MP is suffering from "Modi-phobia".

In an interview with ANI, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also claimed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided the candidates for Congress in the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls being held in Odisha.

"I can give a list of 140 Vidhan Sabha and 21 Lok Sabha seats on how Naveen Babu has decided where to field which Congress candidate. Congress party is in the pockets of Naveen Babu in Odisha. In Odisha, Naveen Babu is the one who has distributed Congress tickets. Tickets were given to those leaders as per Naveen Babu's choice. I have closely observed the politics in Odisha all these years. Congress has changed its candidates for assembly and Parliamentary elections according to the BJD many times and this has been confirmed by senior Congress leaders," Dharmendra Pradhan said.

He further said that Congress is not a player in Odisha's political landscape.

"Congress is not a factor affecting Odisha elections. It is not even a player in the state politics. They are contesting here only to benefit BJD in one or two seats," said Pradhan while adding that Rahul Gandhi has taken an advance from the BJD and is doing bare minimum campaigning.

On Rahul Gandhi highlighting the numerous legal challenges he faced due to his opposition to the BJP, Pradhan said that Wayanad MP was framed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge at the Centre.

"Rahul Gandhi has Modi-phobia. Did the National Herald case happen before or after Narendra Modi became PM? If the agencies frame them in pre-2014 cases, a legal trial takes place, and the court passes judgements, they will still blame PM Narendra Modi," he said.

Further rebutting Rahul Gandhi's claims that BJP and BJD in partnership are focused on looting the wealth, mines, and properties of Odisha, Pradhan said that Congress leaders in the state are the biggest mining mafia.

"I think Rahul Gandhi is not aware that his own party leaders holding senior positions here are the state's biggest mining mafia. I think he has forgotten who runs the mining mafia. It is his own party leaders and their relatives in the state," he said.

Earlier today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that BJP-BJD is working as an alliance and alleged that the partnership is focused on looting the wealth, mines, and properties of Odisha.

Speaking at a public meeting in Balasore, Gandhi questioned the integrity of BJD leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, "why haven't cases been filed against the CM here, Naveen Babu, if he truly fights against the BJP? Why wasn't his home taken? Why wasn't his membership revoked? Why wasn't he interrogated?"

"All this hasn't happened because Naveen Patnaik from BJD works for the BJP, both are the same, and their partnership is ongoing. And it's clear that the goal of this partnership is to steal the wealth, mines, and properties of the people of Odisha and to make billions," Gandhi added.

Drawing a contrast with his own experiences, Gandhi highlighted the numerous legal challenges he has faced due to his opposition to the BJP.

"I fight against the BJP and they have filed 24 cases against me including defamation and criminal cases. They took away my Lok Sabha membership and sentenced me to a two-year jail term. The ED interrogated me for 50 hours. They took my home. When they took my home, I gave them the keys and said to them, 'I don't want this government house of yours," Gandhi said.

"I have millions of homes in India. My home is in the hearts of the people of Odisha. The hearts of the people of other states are my home, I don't need your home, take it away," he added.

The assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha are taking place simultaneously, in four phases, from May 13 to June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

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