Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: The Congress today announced that all its MLAs would meet President Pranab Mukherjee and seek his intervention to protect the interests of Odisha since the Naveen Patnaik government did not take the Opposition into confidence for a united fight to save the Mahanadi.

Sources said the meeting might take place after October 13.

Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra said: "We have sought an appointment with the President. We also invite the ruling party members to join us to raise the Mahanadi issue before the President. They can go with us, if they want."

Mishra announced his decision to meet the President after the state legislative Assembly today witnessed pandemonium for the second day over the Mahanadi water dispute issue.

As soon as the Assembly reassembled for the day, the Congress and BJP legislators stormed into the Well, alleging that the chief minister was busy playing politics over the issue and not interested in fighting for the cause in Odisha's interests.

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati tried to climb onto the Speaker's podium to draw his attention to how the stalemate was created following the chief minister's reply on a two-day debate on the Mahandi river dispute.

Bahinipati said: "We have urged the Speaker to convene an all-party meet to restore normality in the House. We have agreed to extend our co-operation to the chief minister and urged him to take up the issue with the Prime Minister and the President. Instead of taking up the issue, the BJD is creating trouble in the House."

Targeting the chief minister, Bahinipati said: "While the Opposition is ready to extend its co-operation, the chief minister is alleging that we are shedding crocodile tears. The chief minister should issue a clarification on this issue."

As the ruckus continued in the Assembly, the Speaker adjourned the House repeatedly. Later, the Opposition leader announced his decision outside the Assembly to meet President Pranab Mukherjee over the water dispute issue.

Mishra said: "The ruling BJD has no concern for the people of Odisha. Keeping the panchayat elections in mind, the chief minister is busy playing petty politics. We will meet the President and apprise him of the current situation."

On July 26, Mishra had led a Congress party delegation to Chhattisgarh to make a spot assessment of various projects undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government, and later he had convened an all-party meeting to take a stand on this issue as the chief minister had not called for an all-party meet on this issue.

BJP legislature party leader K.V. Singh Deo said: "If Mishra holds an all-party meeting, we will certainly join them. But if he takes a Congress delegation, we will not be a party to it."

Snubbing the Congress's proposal, BJD MLA and spokesperson Samir Dash said: "Why should not the Congress meet Sonia Gandhi over this issue? They are free to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on this issue."

The BJD spokesperson alleged that the state BJP was hand in glove with the Chhattisgarh government on this issue and was not keen to protect the interests of Odisha.