Bhubaneswar: BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced that his party would support Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the opposition candidate for the vice-presidential election.
The UPA candidate has thanked the BJD supremo for the support.
Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Narasingha Mishra too welcomed the BJD’s decision to support Gandhi.
According to reports, Gandhi and Naveen were close friends much before the latter joined politics. In 2012, the BJD chief had said, “He was an old and valued friend. We were friends even when I was not in politics”.
The regional party had supported NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind for the President’s post, for which polling was held on Monday.
BJD parliamentary party spokesman Kalikesh Singhdeo said, “Naveen Patnaik has proved that the BJD has been maintaining equal distance from the Congress and the BJP.”
Former Governor of West Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhi is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the Secretary to Vice President from 1985 to 1987 and Joint Secretary to President between 1987 and 1992. Gandhi was also the Secretary to President in 1997.
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