New Delhi: BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday made it clear that he is not going to join the possible third front or a common political platform of non-BJP and non-Congress parties. The CM also said that his party-Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is going to fight the next Assembly and Lok Sabha polls alone.
The Chief Minister informed this to media persons after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday afternoon.
Shri Patnaik-led BJD has been maintaining equal distance from both BJP and Congress. So, when reporters asked him if there any possibility of BJD joining the third front, the CM replied, “No….not as far as I am concerned…not now.”
He also said that BJD will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, due in 2024, alone.
About his meeting with PM Modi, Shri Patnaik said they discussed issues related to Odisha’s demand, not any political matter.
“Our discussion was mainly related to the demands of Odisha. I spoke to him about the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport at Puri for which the boundary has been already earmarked,” he said.
As Bhubaneswar is getting too much traffic now, that’s why we want an expansion. The Prime Minister said that he will definitely help every possible way, the Chief Minister said.
Shri Patnaik also ruled out any meeting with other political leaders during this trip to New Delhi.
The statement of Shri Patnaik about the third front assumes significance as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met him on Wednesday while West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee held discussion with him in March.
Following the break-up of the BJD-BJP coalition government in 2009, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has been maintaining equal distance from both BJP and Congress. Besides, it is not shown much interest to be involved in national politics. The regional party always says its focus is on the interest of Odisha and its people.