Ahead of Presidential elections, it seems that all opposition parties want BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik name a worthy candidate, who can be acceptable to all regional and anti-BJP national parties, for the coveted post.
It is so conceived from the fact that while two Chief Ministers, Nitish Kumar of Bihar and Mamata Benerjee of West Bengal, have already met Patnaik, CPM general secretary and MP Sitaram Yechury is scheduled to meet him on Thursday.
Yechury, who reached the city on Wednesday, informed about his proposed meeting with Patnaik. “This (President election) will be fight between Indian nationalist forces and Hindu nationalist forces,” Yechury told reporters.
In response to related questions on Tuesday, Patnaik had said, “It is too early. let the Union Government announce its candidate.”
It may be noted that Patnaik had named former lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma for the last Presidential elections against the UPA candidate. All regional parties had supported Sangma.