Naveen wants coalition to sail through 2019 elections: BJP

Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik met Atal Bihari Vajpayee at New Delhi, speculations are now rife over the political significance of the meeting even though the former termed it as a 'courtesy call'.

However, BJP sees it more than just a courtesy visit and has accused the ruling party of having serious political motives behind meeting the former prime minister at his residence in the national capital.

“Why did Naveen meet Vajpayeeji after such a long time? What made him to decide  to pay him a visit now," questioned BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit.

People have lost faith in the ruling government and as Naveen Patnaik is losing his popularity in the State, BJD wants to be a part of NDA again to win the 2019 elections.

Reacting strongly on such statements of BJP, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said Naveen often talks to people who are close to Vajpayee as the former prime minister has good relation with people of Odisha and Patnaik.

We don’t want coalition. BJP’s claims of coalition are baseless and lack any substance.

--Pratap Deb

It is worth mentioning that Naveen had never met Vajpayee since BJP's landslide victory in the 2014 general elections. So meeting him after the impressive performance of Odisha BJP in the panchayat polls has sparked off speculations in the political sphere.