Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has made a clarification to all leaders who are trying to push their respective national level alliances and fronts. He said his party will contest the 2019 general election all alone and without tie-up with any party or front. He asserted the Biju Janata Dal will not become close to either the BJP-led NDA or the proposed Mahakutami. It means BJD will not consider KCR’s Federal Front as well. Ahead of elections, his comments assumed significance.

Analysts say Navin Patnaik is taking all the care not to get trapped and stuck between national parties and their fronts at this juncture. He wants to maintain a safe distance. It is already clear AP has lost heavily due to lack of enough central funds after the TDP broke away from the NDA last year. Moreover, Chandrababu Naidu’s direct confrontation with the Modi government has created a big rift in the Centre-State relations.

Patnaik is carefully avoiding such political standoff. He is also under heavy pressure to counter the BJP’s big efforts to win more MP seats in 2019. The BJD won 20 seats while the BJP got one seat only in 2014 election. The Congress could not get a single seat. The BJP is hopeful of winning more seats as it had done well in panchayat elections there.

G.Ravikiran