Need Some Time To Think Over It; Naveen On Grand Alliance

New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday once again appeared to support the idea of joining a grand alliance of opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls slated in May.

Asked if he would join such an alliance, Patnaik did not reject such a proposal but said they would take some more time to decide on it.

“As far as mahagathbandhan is concerned, we will take some time and think it over,” the CM told reporters.

He was in the national capital to participate in the Biju Krushak Adhikar Samavesh.

Earlier in December last year, Naveen had hinted at the possibility of a grand alliance with “like minded” parties following a meeting with Telengana Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrasekahar Rao (KCR) at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar.

KCR is leading an initiative to get the like minded parties under an unified platform before the polls.

“The country needs a change, a qualitative change for which a dialogue has begun. We are doing our efforts, nothing has come out concrete till now. I think shortly something will emerge. We will shortly meet again. There is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country,” he had said.