BJD will not be part of mahagathbandhan, says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

The Odisha chief minister said the party will continue with the policy of equidistance from the BJP and the Congress.

A day after saying that he needs time to think over the possibility of joining an opposition grand alliance, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday made it clear that he won’t be a part of it.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik during the sit-in protest to demand an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, at Talkatora stadium, in New Delhi on January 8. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

“As far as the mahagathbandhan is concerned, the BJD is not a part of it,” said the Biju Janata Dal chief, adding that his party will maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress.

The talk of a grand alliance has gained momentum after Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party suggested that they have firmed up a seat-sharing deal minus the Congress. Rahul Gandhi was earlier keen to join the alliance but has now accepted the idea of the Congress going it alone in 2019 polls. He even said the Congress may surprise people with results in UP.

In this backdrop, Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu met Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday to cement an opposition alliance against the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Naidu has taken a lead role in building an opposition front against the BJP.

There have also have been speculations of the Odisha CM joining the NDA in the event of its failure to get a clear majority in the 2019 polls. The rumours were fuelled when Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not utter a word against the BJD chief in two public meetings—Khurda and Baripada—while he was all fire and brimstone against him just 3 months ago in a meeting in Jharsuguda district.

State Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik said Naveen Patnaik’s equidistance policy is only for self-preservation. “BJD not joining mahagathbandhan does not bother us. We have always known BJD as a party of opportunists,” he said.

BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari said for his party, BJD not joining the grand alliance makes no difference. “Naveen Patnaik works in myterious ways. Even God would be unsure about his next step. For us, both BJD and Congress are rivals,” said Pujari.