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| Pradip Kumar Amat |
Bhubaneswar, May 26: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik skipped the swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. Finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat was sent to represent the state government at the ceremony.
Explaining why Naveen did not attend the swearing-in ceremony, Amat said: “As the chief minister is the proposer for the election of the Speaker today and his presence is required in Bhubaneswar, he was unable to go. He asked me to represent Odisha at the swearing-in ceremony.”
Sources said Naveen decided to stay away as Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu counterpart J. Jayalalithaa skipped the event.
“Naveen could have easily attended the swearing-in ceremony as the election (of the Speaker) was held in the morning. But due to political compulsion, he avoided the swearing-in ceremony,” said a senior BJD leader.
During the campaigning for the general election, Naveen had come down heavily on Modi and also criticised him for not visiting Odisha when Phailin struck the state. Naveen’s campaign helped the party get 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP only got one seat.
But in the changed scenario and as part of his strategy to show “positive attitude” towards the BJP-led NDA government at the centre, the BJD MPs also attended the swearing-in-ceremony.
Naveen had only recently reiterated his party’s stand to maintain “equi-distance” both from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress, it decided not to stir any controversy at the moment by boycotting the swearing-in ceremony.
However, the BJD, an erstwhile constituent of the NDA, is eagerly keeping its eye on the NDA’s move vis-à-vis Odisha’s demand for special category status. The demand had been at the core of Naveen Patnaik’s campaign against the Congress-led UPA.
With two ministers from the state in Modi’s cabinet, it is to be seen what stand the BJP will take.
The state also banks heavily on assistance from the Centre to continue with various central-funded welfare schemes, including the mid-day meal scheme.
