January 06, 2025 09:22 am (IST)

Make this your homepage

News

Bharatiya Janata Party releases first list of candidates for Delhi Assembly polls, fields Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma against Kejriwal | Firecracker unit explosion in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar kills 6 | Body of independent journalist, who went missing on Jan 1, found in a septic tank in Chhattisgarh | Delhi: 14-year-old student stabbed to death outside school after brawl with classmate | Rohit Sharma confirms he is not retiring amid speculations after skipping Sydney Test | India objects to China's 'new counties' announcement, says parts of these come under Ladakh | No cause for alarm over HMPV virus spread in China: Indian Health Agency | PM Modi gives a call for change in Delhi launching fierce attack on Arvind Kejriwal's AAP | Quran open to passage glorifying violence, bomb-making materials tracked in New Orleans attacker Shamshud-Din Jabbar's home | Jasprit Bumrah leads India in series decider after Rohit Sharma opts to rest in Sydney Test amid poor show with willow

Naveen Patnaik

Image Credit: Twitter/PMO

Naveen Patnaik meets PM Modi, rules out alliance with opposition parties for 2024 elections

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | May 12, 2023, at 04:56 am

#NaveenPatnaik #PMModi #NitishKumar #2024Election

New Delhi/IBNS: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday ruled out the possibility of forming an alliance with the opposition in the 2024 national election, announcing that his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party will contest alone.

Patnaik met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening and called it a "courtesy call".

Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri @Naveen_Odisha met Prime Minister @narendramodi.@CMO_Odisha pic.twitter.com/7ZBiUKxNhD
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 11, 2023

Asked whether the BJD would maintain its "equidistant" stance, he told reporters: "That has always been the plan."

This comes two days after his meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the prime mover in opposition unity moves ahead of 2024.

Patnaik's announcement is a blow to Nitish Kumar's efforts to set up an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2024 polls.

Glad to meet #Bihar Chief Minister Shri @NitishKumar in #Bhubaneswar. #Odisha shares a special bond with Bihar and the people of the neighbouring state. Hope he had a pleasant and fruitful stay in Odisha. pic.twitter.com/tPGtvRisAz
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 9, 2023

Patnaik said he had met PM Modi to discuss shifting the international airport from Bhubaneswar to Puri, one of Odisha's biggest draws. "The PM said he will help in any way possible," he added.

The Odisha CM said he had no plans to meet any other political parties on this visit to Delhi.

"Not on this trip, not as far as I am concerned," he said, contradicting reports that suggested a flurry of meetings with opposition leaders including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Patnaik had earlier met with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of the BJP's sharpest critics.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.