New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who is currently on a three-day visit to New Delhi, on Tuesday said that his party was not thinking about the Presidential elections at the moment.
“There is still time for the Presidential elections… so no thoughts on that for the moment,” he replied when asked by reporters about BJD’s stand in the Presidential elections.
To a question about whether the BJD will prefer a consensus candidate for the post, he said, “It is still early days. The BJD hasn’t thought about it yet.”
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The Presidential election is due in July this year with the tenure of President Ram Nath Kovind ending on July 24.
The Modi government, which is now at least 1.2 per cent (roughly 13,000 votes) away from the majority mark due to BJP’s reduced majority in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand legislative assemblies, may need the support of BJD for its candidate to sail through. The BJD has 112 MLAs and 12 MPs, which is about 3 per cent of the total vote value of about 1,093,347, and can play a crucial role to fill the gap.
Notably, the Naveen Patnaik-led government in Odisha had extended support to BJP’s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind in 2017, leading to talks about a tacit understanding between the parties that are rivals in the state.
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Responding to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s letter to Opposition leaders and CMs of non-BJP ruled states for the formation of an anti-BJP Opposition front, Naveen said: “I haven’t received the letter yet. BJD stands for the development and welfare of our state.”
Earlier this afternoon, he held a meeting with his party MPs at the BJD parliamentary office and also spent time in the Central Hall of Parliament. He was also scheduled to meet some Union ministers to discuss pending issues related to the state’s interests.
On Monday, Naveen had attended a sports award function and felicitated the women’s hockey team on the occasion. He also highlighted his government’s efforts in promoting sports.
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