Bhubaneswar, Nov. 16: More trouble seems to be brewing for BJD parliamentary leader in Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahatab as senior leaders of the party have started demanding action against him for embarrassing the party leadership with his recent statements about a possible alliance with the Congress.

Mahatab had created ripples in the party by saying that he had talked about a possible alliance with the Congress at the behest of chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

He had also argued for party evolving an effective strategy to face the challenge posed by the BJP in Odisha.

However, what has embarrassed the Odisha BJD leadership is an audio cassette in which Mahatab is allegedly heard saying that the BJD feared the BJP and that it was trying to make a secret pact with the BJP to save its leaders facing the CBI probe in the money deposit collection case.

The cassette is being played continuously by a local news channel.

BJD vice-president Surjya Narayan Patro said: "Mahatab's statement has demoralised the party cadres. The chief minister is examining the issue."

BJD spokesperson Samir Dash said: "Chief minister has never talked about any alliance with Congress and never authorised Mahatab to speak on the issue.

The chief minister has made it clear that the party will continue to pursue its policy of equi-distance from Congress and the BJP."

On being asked about Mahatab's statement that the BJD was hobnobbing with the BJP because of the fear of CBI, Dash said: "We are not brokering any truce with the CBI. We believe that law will take its own course."

While Cuttack -Barabati MLA Debasis Samantray sarcastically questioned the locus standi of Mahatab in raising the issue, BJD vice president Damodar Routray rose to the MP's defence.

However, Mahatab refused to react on the issue.

"My statement has already stirred a controversy. I do not want to add fuel to it," he said today, adding that the party would take up an adjournment motion on demonetisation tomorrow in Parliament.