Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s nephew Arun Patnaik on Tuesday cold-shouldered the aspirations of sycophants in the ruling BJD who have often been clamouring for his entry into politics to carry forward the Biju Patnaik legacy. “I have no intentions of joining politics right now. I would not like to make any comments on it now,” said Arun Patnaik here in his first-ever interaction with the media.
He was talking to reporters briefly after he, his father Prem Patnaik and uncle Naveen Patnaik signed documents at the Sub-Registrar’s office here gifting the Anand Bhawan, the birthplace of Biju Patnaik, to the State. The junior Patnaik said he was happy that the people of the State loved his uncle Naveen Patnaik so much.
Notably, Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy had openly declared on July 28 last year that he would fully support Arun Patnaik in case he decides to join the BJD. Maharathy had said this when there was a perception about dissidence within the BJD in the month of July even after the BJD won 117 Assembly seats. Maharathy’s statement was interpreted as testing the waters for a possible coronation of Arun Patnaik in the wake of 25 disgruntled young MlAs of the party having a meeting in Cuttack. The MlAs had, however, claimed that it was just a ‘get together’.