Odisha CM Says Meeting With PM Modi Was A Courtesy Call

New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday said that his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was only a courtesy call.

“I have not been able to meet him (PM) because of the pandemic. We discussed several issues regarding Odisha and I asked for his help,” he said.

The meeting at the South Block lasted for around 30 minutes, sources said.

The CM further informed that he would also be paying a courtesy visit to Home Minister Amit Shah at 6.30 pm and discuss issues which require his help. “Nothing was discussed on the presidential election,” he asserted.

There was speculation that the two leaders might discuss the presidential election, scheduled in July, since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is about 1.2 per cent away from the total votes it needs for its candidate to sail through. The BJD with 112 MLAs and 12 MPs has about 3 per cent of the total vote value of about 1,093,347.

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This is Naveen’s third visit to the national capital in two months and he is scheduled to return to Odisha on Wednesday afternoon.

Also Read: Odisha CM To Leave For Delhi Tomorrow, 3rd Visit In 2 Months