Bhubaneswar, Nov. 15: BJD parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahatab today said his party should gear up to face the challenge from the BJP, which was focusing on Odisha in a big way.

He said today: "Odisha has become a potential state for the BJP. They are focusing more on Odisha rather than Telangana and other states. Our party should take note of it and accordingly prepare its strategy."

Mahatab had landed in a controversy on November 4 when he said Congress should no longer be untouchable for the BJD as it had changed a lot over the years. He had said BJD could think of an alliance with the Congress.

But, a day after making the statement, he was snubbed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik who asserted that BJD had no plans of an alliance with the Congress. He had also accused the Congress of neglecting the interests of Odisha. Naveen had also made it clear that the party would stick to maintaining equal distance from Congress and BJP.

The controversy continued as an Odia daily today carried a statement allegedly made by Mahatab that he had argued in favour of making an alliance with the Congress at the behest of the chief minister. Mahatab, however, denied having made any such statement. on the issue<>."

Referring to the statement of Mahatab, Union minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said: "It has exposed the real BJD. The BJD has a secret alliance with the Congress." Referring to reports in media in which Mahatab had hinted that his statement on BJD tilting towards the Congress was made at the instance of the chief minister, Pradhan said: "If the statement is true, it exposes chief minister Naveen Patnaik's double standards."