Naveen Patnaik’s comeback to PM Modi’s barb is an invite to oath ceremony

To Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s barb that his exit was certain in the Odisha assembly polls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told the PM that he was welcome to attend his swearing-in ceremony after the elections.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s defeat in the 2019 Odisha state assembly polls was a certainty, Patnaik hit back saying the PM can be a guest at his next swearing-in ceremony if he wished.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting his vote during the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. (Arabinda Mahapatra/HT PHOTO)

At an election rally in Barua in Kendapara on Tuesday, Modi said that he wanted Patnaik to bow out with dignity.

“I did not want him to give him a disrespectful farewell but a grand and respectful one, since he has served the state for so many years. But the way the party has taken to the path of violence in the last 10-15 days and given how a handful of his officers have kept him blindfolded, I want to tell him: Naveen Babu, your time is up. No one can save you now, not even a handful of officers. The people of Odisha are in a mood to see you off in anger. Naveen babu aapka jana tay hain (Naveen babu, your exit is certain),” he said.

Patnaik, at a meeting in Basta constituency of Balasore district on Wednesday, hit back with sarcasm, saying he would like to have Modi as a ‘guest’ at his swearing-in ceremony after the election results are declared.

“The PM, during his election rally yesterday, had stated that he will visit Odisha again after dislodging the BJD Government. However, with the blessings of the people here, BJD has already secured a majority in the Assembly after the third phase of polls. I humbly invite him (Modi) to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the BJD Government as a guest,” said Patnaik.

Referring to Cyclone Titli, the CM slammed the PM saying the latter didn’t turn up during Odisha’s hard times but has been visiting Odisha every day now that it is election time. More than 70 people were killed when Cyclone Titli ravaged parts of Odisha in October 2018.

Earlier this month, Patnail described opposition leaders as “opportunistic seasonal birds swarming Odisha to seek votes” after another attack by Modi.

Polling for 105 seats of the 147 assembly seats and 15 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the State have so far been completed in three phases. The final phase of polling for the remaining seats will be held on April 29.

If Patnaik wins the assembly polls, it will be his fifth consecutive win since his first victory at the 2000 assembly polls. He is contesting from two constituencies this time — Hinjili in Ganjam district (his home turf) and Bijepur in Bargarh (for the first time).

The BJD won 117 assembly seats in the last elections while the BJP won ten. The BJD swamped the 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning 20 of the 21 seats. The BJP won just one.