Bhubaneswar, Feb. 14 -- Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) re-nominated Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, party's state unit president Manmohan Samal met Gopalpur MLA & former BJD leader, Pradeep Panigrahi.

Though the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced its support to Vaishnaw's candidature for the Upper House, Samal's meeting with Panigrahi is said to be for seeking the Gopalpur legislator's support amid severe criticism from the Congress. Vaishnaw will file his nomination for the RS tomorrow.

Panigrahi, who has all along been spewing venom against the BJD and its leaders, lashed out at the ruling party while speaking to media after meeting Samal.

Emerging after the meeting with Samal, Go...