Bhubaneswar: The Odisha BJP unit on Wednesday supported the Naveen Patnaik government in its fight against Chhattisgarh in the Mahanadi water-sharing issue.

Earlier, the BJP was on the back foot for taking a soft stand on Chhattisgarh and the Centre on the water dispute.

In the Assembly, the party supported the BJD's resolution to form an all-party committee to put pressure on the Centre to constitute a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between the two states.

BJP legislature leader K.V. Singh Singh Deo told the Assembly: "The BJP is ready to fight for the cause of the state. It was the BJD, which was earlier in dilemma whether to demand a tribunal or a joint control board on the issue. The BJP has been in favour of a tribunal."

The BJD and the Congress were attacking the state BJP unit for not coming out openly against the Centre, which had, in its affidavit before the Supreme Court, rejected Odisha's contention to set up the tribunal. They had also accused the Centre of being partisan towards Chhattisgarh.

The BJP had faced major embarrassment on Sunday with its leader Bijoy Mahapatra attacking the central and the Chhattisgarh governments for their orchestrated stand on the dispute. He had accused the two governments of hatching a "conspiracy" to deny the legitimate rights of Odisha. In Parliament, the Centre had favoured setting up of a tribunal. But in the Supreme Court, it had taken a contrary position to suit the interests of Chhattisgarh.

The rethink over the Mahanadi within the BJP became evident on Wednesday with Singh Deo and others expressing the party's support to the cause of Odisha and attacking the BJD for its vacillating stand on the issue in the past. Political analysts feel that the BJP could ill afford to take a soft stand on the issue of Mahanadi. The BJD is sparing no efforts to whip up the passions on the emotive issue. Considering that the issue could become a poll plank, the BJP seems to have changed its position, feel analysts.

In the Assembly, Singh Deo wanted the government to bring in a white paper on the issue while accusing it of adopting "a double standard". He said that while Odisha accused Chhattisgarh of providing water to industrial houses, it was doing the same. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra also wanted pressure to be built on the Prime Minister to agree to the tribunal demand.

Government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy moved a resolution, seeking an all-party committee under the chief minister's chairmanship to put pressure on the Prime Minister to urge the Centre to form the tribunal. The resolution was passed unanimously.