Keeping his election campaign promise, rather a taunting one, Naveen Patnaik on Monday said he has invited Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi to his swearing-in ceremony here as Chief Minister on Wednesday.

Patnaik had stated during his campaigning in Baleswar that he would extend an invitation to Modi to his oath-taking function.

The BJD supremo’s statement was a sharp reaction to Modi’s prediction a day earlier in his Kendrapada poll meeting that Patnaik was on his out as Chief Minister for a fifth consecutive term as the BJP was going to form Government in Odisha after this election.

Modi had in an extra loud voice taunted Patnaik, saying, “Naveenbabu, tum jaa rahe ho” (your time is up).

Patnaik also said that he has invited outgoing Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram to his swearing-in ceremony. He perhaps particularly referred to Pradhan as the latter was informally projected by the BJP high command as the party’s Chief Ministerial face in the State.    

Response of Modi, Pradhan and Oram to Patnaik’s invitation was yet to be known.

The BJD has also invited MLAs and MPs of all parties to the swearing ceremony. Besides, industry leaders, including Ratan Tata, have also been invited, said party spokesperson Pratap Deb.

In his first reaction to the question as to who would be his successor in the BJD, Patnaik said people of Odisha would decide the issue. He stated this in an interview to a national English newsmagazine.

He said that he is quite hopeful of the BJD winning for a sixth straight term. He observed that the decimation of the Congress has led to the BJP’s rise in the State, for which the BJD had to face a challenge from the saffron party. Yet, the BJD’s vote share has gone up by two per cent, he pointed out.  

Patnaik attributed the BJD’s repeated electoral victory to his Government’s welfare policies and programmes for the benefit of all sections of people.