Patnaik rules out tie up with BJP, says Third Front an option
Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik today ruled out any tie up between his party BJD and the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, asserting that Third Front is a “very healthy” option.
“There is no question of any alliance with the BJP,” he told reporters on the sideline of a conference here. He was responding to a question on the possibility of the Biju Janata Dal joining hands with the BJP again in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Asked whether there were any chances of revival of the Third Front, Patnaik said, “I think the Third Front is a very healthy option. But it is still early days.”
The BJD, which has been ruling the eastern state since 1999, had an alliance with BJP till 2009. However, the regional party snapped ties with BJP just before the 2009 Orissa Assembly elections. The party has 14 members in Lok Sabha.
The party was a constituent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led the NDA government in which Patnaik held a Cabinet berth.
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