Bhubaneswar, Aug. 12: Former Odisha finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, who was dropped from the ministry for his alleged role in the May 29 coup attempt against chief minister Naveen Patnaik, today met the latter at his official residence Naveen Niwas.

Though Ghadei maintained that it was purely a courtesy call, BJD insiders maintained that it was his attempt to seek a rapprochement with the party supremo.

“Ghadei might also have tried to convince the chief minister that he was being victimised and that he had no role in the coup attempt,” said a senior leader of the party.

After meeting the chief minister, Ghadei said: “It was a routine meeting. I discussed with him about the extension of Rengali irrigation canal work to Jajpur and Keonjhar.”

Thanking the chief minister for giving him an opportunity to serve under him for 10 years, Ghadei said: “I have served as a minister for more than 14 years. Now, I have got time to work for the people of my constituency. I will devote time for the development of my constituency and the party organisation.”

Ghadei, who is also the party vice-president, said: “Whenever the chief minister gave me any assignment, I discharged it sincerely. I will continue to discharge any duty assigned to me in future too. The election is only one-and-a-half-year away. The party has to prepare itself. I have forgotten my past, I am thinking of the present and the future.”