Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who had returned to Bhubaneswar on May 4 after a 12-day trip to New Delhi, once again left for the national Capital on Friday on a week-long tour, also unofficial this time. He is scheduled to return here on May 14.
Patnaik is likely to hold discussions with leaders of several national parties on possible alliances in the post-poll scenario. Though his visit is unofficial, he is also likely to consult senior lawyers on the illegal mining issue, which is sub-judice in the Supreme Court and awaits an interim order, said sources.
Notably, Patnaik Government on Friday received a major blow after the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the chit fund scam with clear instructions to look into the larger conspiracy angle. Patnaik’s BJD Government surely does not want yet another CBI inquiry, into the mining scam which by all accounts would lead to indictment of politicians and bureaucrats.
The Forest Bench of the SCheaded by Justice AK Patnaik, who retires on June 2, is likely to pronounce an interim order in the mining case during the summer vacation which starts from June 10 and ends on June 29.
While there have been allegations of a nexus between the Congress high command and Patnaik over the last several years, a recent statement of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh rating Patnaik ahead of Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee in the ‘secularism stakes’, has set off speculations about the BJD chief figuring prominently in the Congress’ post-poll arithmetic.