New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said he did not harbour any ambition of becoming the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha elections. "I have no ambition of becoming the Prime Minister. I have the blessings of the people of Odisha, and will like to serve the state," Patnaik told reporters after inaugurating the Odisha Sadan at Dwarka Sector 16-B.
Patnaik's statement comes hours after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi launched his party's election campaign in Odisha. Gandhi at a public meeting in Cuttack district targeted the ruling BJD, and dubbed it as "corrupt" and siding with mining mafia.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is also scheduled to address a public meeting in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Responding to a question, Patnaik, who had earlier advocated for an alternative government other than the BJD-led NDA and the Congress-led UPA, said: "I have no such plan to meet any non-Congress and non-BJP leader during this trip."
Earlier, two senior Left leaders -- CPI(M)'s Prakash Karat and CPI's AB Bardhan -- had met Patnaik in Bhubaneswar. "I discussed the national political scenario with Patnaik," Karat had said after the meeting, adding that the Left parties were in consultations with regional parties to give an alternative government to the people of India.
As Patnaik had been advocating for an alternative government at the Centre for a long time besides maintaining equal distance from Congress and BJP, speculations were rife in the media that he would led the proposed front if it came to power.
Even CPI veteran A B Bardhan during his last visit to the state had said that his party would like to see the Odisha Chief Minister as the Prime Minister of the country. However, Karat, while replying the same question, had said: "Let the elections be over."
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