Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik will skip the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in New Delhi on Monday. Instead, Finance Minister Pradip Kumar Amat would represent Patnaik in the event, sources said on Sunday.
No reasons have been given for Patnaik’s decision to skip the all-important event that would formally herald the beginning of a new NDA Government at the Centre.
This is despite Patnaik’s stand that his Government would have a “positive attitude” towards the Modi Government.
The sources said Patnaik has given a go-ahead to his party MPs to attend the swearing-in function.