Bhubaneswar: Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, at the latter’s residence in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The meeting, described by both leaders as a courtesy call, took place during Akhilesh’s two-day visit to Odisha.
The SP leader, who represents Kannauj in the Lok Sabha, inquired about Naveen’s health and praised his long-standing contributions to the state’s development. “Naveen Patnaik is a very senior leader. He and his father made a great contribution towards the development of Odisha. They tried to transform the lives of common people,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Visuals from the meeting, shared widely on social media platforms, showed the two leaders in cordial conversation at Naveen Niwas.
Clarifying that no discussions were held on the broader national or state political landscape, Akhilesh emphasised that the visit was primarily to check on the BJD leader’s well-being. He, however, added that both the SP in Uttar Pradesh and the BJD in Odisha are opposing the BJP.
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Naveen, a five-time former Chief Minister of Odisha, reciprocated the warmth in a post on social media. “Glad to meet Samajwadi Party president, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Akhilesh Yadav today. We had a meaningful discussion of several contemporary issues. Thanked him for the courtesy visit,” he stated.
The meeting is being viewed by observers as politically significant, even though framed as informal, particularly in the context of ongoing informal interactions among non-BJP regional parties as they explore possible coordination in the lead-up to Parliament’s Budget Session. That said, there were no signs of any talks about a concrete political strategy or formal alliance.
In the past too, leaders across the political spectrum, including NDA allies such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have met Naveen during their visits to Bhubaneswar. Such interactions are generally viewed as efforts to keep communication channels open among regional parties and strengthen cooperation on federal issues, rather than committing to any structured political grouping or alignment.
