Bhubaneswar: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday said his party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will not support either a Congress-led or a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government after Lok Sabha elections but appeared to keep open the option of aligning with the Third Front.
"BJD will not support either a Congress-led or a BJP-led government", Patnaik said when asked what will be his party's stand after the poll.
He said "it is also premature to say anything on the possibility of BJD joining the Third Front" and added a clear picture would emerge after completion of the General Elections.
Though BJD has snapped ties with BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Patnaik had earlier not made it clear whether his party would support the UPA or the NDA after polls.
The BJD president said he had no aspiration to become the prime minister as "I will like to serve as Chief Minister of Orissa and work for the people of the state."
Patnaik's statement came after Communist Party of India General Secretary AB
Bardhan met the BJD chiuef him and requested him to join the Third Front.
On the chances of making Patnaik as the Third Front's prime ministerial candidate, Bardhan shot back "do you think we lack PM candidates?"
Even after meeting leaders of Left parties, including Communist Party of India-Marxist's Sitaram Yechury and Bardhan, Patnaik did not definitely say whether he would join the Third Front.
Bardhan said the BJD president should be given time to take his decision.
He said CPI would wait for five or six days to sit for seat-sharing talks with BJD.
"Let the chief minister take his time and tell us when he is free to talk on seat-sharing," Bardhan said adding Left parties would like to have an alliance with BJD after it snapped ties with BJP.
Comments
0 comment