By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Former Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, had on May 10, tweeted “ललन बाबू आप भोजन में दिखाई नहीं पड़ रहे हैं?गए तो थे साथ में ?,” sharing a photo of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar taking lunch at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik residence , Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar.
Why Sushil Modi tweeted , is yet to known, but the meeting of and bonhomie between Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday at New Delhi, has left Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and as well as West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee in quandary. Odisha CM Patnaik rejected the possibility of working with the opposition for the 2024 national election, declaring that his Biju Janata Dal will go it alone and that this has “always been the plan”.
The Chief Minister termed meeting with PM a “courtesy call”. Asked whether the BJD would maintain its “equidistant” stance, he told reporters: “That has always been the plan.” That is not fluctuating anytime soon, he argued. Patnaik’s clear cut’ big no’ is a setback to Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to set up head-to-head contests against the BJP led NDA across India in 2024 and check PM Modi.
Patnaik said he had no plans to meet any other political parties on this visit to the capital. “Not on this trip, not as far as I am concerned,” he said.
Both Kumar and Banerjee had already met Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar to gain his support for a Non- BJP and Non-Congress political alternative ahead of 2024 general elections. Interestingly, without any assurance from BJD Boss, both Kumar and Banerjee back Kolkata and Patna with a promise for a patch of land for construction of Bihar and Bengal Bhawan in Puri respectively.
Naveen Patnaik, known for his masterly political ability and remained a difficult mathematics for all mainstream political parties , but the after the meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi, Patnaik has given enough indication that he was not in hurry to take call ahead of battle 2024.
Shree Jagannatha Puri International Airport, Bharat Net Phase-ii, Incomplete NH Projects and Opening for more Banks in unbanked GPs of the State were among those issued were discussed between Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, to which PMO responded positively.
