Naveen Patnaik Must Tell If BJD Joining New Front Instead Of ‘Lying’ On Talks With Nitish: Odisha BJP

Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar in Bhubaneswar, BJP on Wednesday took a dig at the two leaders over their claims that no political discussions were held between them.

It seems Naveen, who is the president of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), is telling lies about his over 90-minute meeting with Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, senior BJP leader and saffron party’s state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said.

It is difficult to believe that no political talks were held between the leaders of two political parties when they met after Nitish travelled all the way from Bihar to meet Naveen, the BJP leader told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

Moreover, everyone knows that Nitish has been meeting leaders of different political parties as part of efforts to forge unity among non-BJP parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said.

Therefore, if Naveen has plans for BJD to join the third front, he should have the courage to admit it in public and make an announcement instead of hiding his intentions, Harichandan said.

Coming down heavily on Naveen, the senior BJP leader said if BJD wants to be part of the alliance mooted by Nitish to take on the BJP-led NDA, it is free to do so. “However, Naveen should make his party’s stand clear instead of misleading people by claiming that no political issue figured during his meeting with Nitish,” he said.

Meanwhile, Union minister Giriraj Singh also took a swipe at  Nitish over his meeting with Naveen, saying the “statements and emotionless pictures” shared by the BJD leader seem to suggest the JD (U) leader was on a vacation.

It may be noted here that both Naveen and Nitish claimed after their meeting that no discussion on any political alliance between the JD(U) and BJD for the Lok Sabha elections next year was held in the meeting.

“No discussion was held on any alliance. I am delighted that Nitish ji came to Bhubaneswar. We are old friends and colleagues ever since we served in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet,” Patnaik had told reporters after the meeting on Tuesday.