Political People To Be Nominated To Rajya Sabha: Naveen

CM Naveen Patnaik gifting a book to President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: OB

Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday made it clear that those with political background would be nominated to the vacant Rajya Sabha seats.

Candidates for the Upper House will be considered seriously and declared at the appropriate time.

The Chief Minister arrived here in the evening from New Delhi, where he met President Dr Ramnath Kovind and invited him to inaugurate a museum and a school at Anand Bhawan, the ancestral house of his father and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik in Cuttack.

Stating that the President agreed to his request and gave his consent to visit Cuttack, Naveen said the inaugural function would be held either on February 17 or 18. After the date of the function is finalised, the President’s visit would be officially announced, he added.

Replying to a question on the Bijepur bypoll, the Chief Minister said his party would win with a handsome margin.