Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has made a categorical statement yesterday, rejecting Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi as the future Prime Minister of India. “Neither Modi nor Rahul have the ‘pulling power’. And, personally, I am not comfortable with the idea of Modi”, he said.
Naveen’s statement came a day after MoS for HRD, Shashi Tharoor met him along with his wife and held a long discussion on various issues. Tharoor went to the extent of saying that UPA has always kept its door open for the BJD, as there is hardly any ideological difference between the Congress and Naveen’s party.
Tharoor further said although Congress and BJD fight each other in Odisha, there is a possibility for both parties to work together at the centre in the interest of the nation. Tharoor’s overture towards Naveen and the latter’s rejection of Modi, has raised eyebrows in the political circle of Odisha.
It can be recalled that BJD and BJP had an alliance in Odisha for nine years, which ended just before the 2009 polls. After the break-up, BJP has sunk to the bottom low in Odisha politics.
