Bhubaneswar, May 25: The BJD will not attend the meeting of anti-NDA parties called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi tomorrow in New Delhi to discuss the upcoming presidential polls.

The Congress and its allies are keen that the Opposition puts up a united candidate against the NDA's nominee.

"We will not be attending the Delhi meeting. Our stand on the President's election will be made clear by chief minister Naveen Patnaik once both sides announce their candidates," said Samir Ranjan Dash, spokesperson of the ruling BJD in Odisha.

The BJD's stand on the Delhi meet comes close on the heels of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's refusal to accept Sonia's invitation aimed at evolving a consensus on the candidate to be put up by anti-NDA parties. Nitish is likely send his party colleague Sharad Yadav as his representative, but it would not carry the same weight.

Sources in the BJD said that Naveen was playing for time while trying to assess the strength of both the sides even as his party continues to publicly swear by the policy of keeping equal distance from both the Congress and the BJP.

"This is the overt policy of the party. But, Naveen knows which side of his bread is buttered. He will take the right decision at the right time," said a party leader who did not want to be quoted.

The BJD has, in the past, followed an ambivalent policy towards the BJP-led NDA. While it supported the Modi government on crucial issues, such as the passage of Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Amendment Act in Parliament, its workers have frequently hit the streets accusing the Centre of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards Odisha.

At the same time, Naveen is keenly aware of the fact that the arithmetic of presidential polls has tilted in favour of the NDA with regional parties, such as YSR Congress and Telangana Rashtriya Samiti, extending it support. With NDA sending feelers to regional satraps in other states as well, Naveen's policy of wait and watch makes sense.

"No doubt political considerations will weigh heavily on the chief minister as he makes up his mind but the profile of the candidate that we decide to support will also be an important factor. Hence, he is right in taking time to make up his mind. There is no hurry," said a BJD leader.