BJP MLAs on Thursday met chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to urge him to reconsider his decision after public pressure over the sharp hike in salaries of MLAs, ministers and pension of former legislators kept mounting.

The ruling party has found itself on the defensive after former chief minister and leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik announced that he would forgo the enhanced salary and allowances. CPM’s lone MLA Laxman Munda also said he would not accept the revised pay, arguing that Anganwadi workers, cooks and teachers deserved priority in wage revisions. The hike had made Odisha’s MLAs the highest-paid legislators in the country.

Munda criticised the passage of bills on December 9 that raised legislators’ monthly emoluments from ₹1.11 lakh to ₹3.45 lakh. The legislation also approved a three-fold increase in salaries and allowances of the chief minister, deputy chief minister and ministers. Under the revision, the chief minister’s monthly package rose to ₹3.74 lakh, including a basic salary of ₹1 lakh, car allowance of ₹91,000 and sumptuary allowance of ₹1.83 lakh. The leader of Opposition is entitled to about ₹3.62 lakh, while cabinet ministers will draw roughly the same amount. The Speaker’s salary and allowances were raised to ₹3.68 lakh.

As the controversy intensified, the state BJP convened a meeting at the party office on Thursday to assess the fallout. BJP state president Manmohan Samal, chief minister Majhi, deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, ministers, MLAs and senior leaders attended the meeting, where concerns were expressed about the public backlash.

Opposition parties accused the BJP of pushing through the highest legislative pay package in the country at a time of economic distress. “If no corrective steps are taken, it will be difficult for MLAs to visit their constituencies. People will ask how such a hike is justified when jobs are scarce and farmers are struggling,” said a party leader.

Minister for parliamentary affairs Mukesh Mahaling said: “We had a meeting at the BJP office today. Giving due respect to public opinion and sentiments, we have urged the chief minister to reconsider the salary hike.”

Earlier, in a letter to Majhi on Saturday, Naveen said: “I have been blessed by the love, affection and support of the people of Odisha for more than 25 years. I am highly indebted to the people of Odisha and their love towards me and my late father Biju Patnaik.”

Referring to his family’s donation of its ancestral property Anand Bhavan in Cuttack for public use in 2015, Naveen added: “In the same spirit, I would like to forgo the salary and allowances hiked for the leader of Opposition which the Odisha Legislative Assembly has recently passed.”