Naveen meets former PM AB Vajpayee in Delhi

By Akshya Rout

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 24: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday visited ailing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the latter’s Krishna Menon Road residence in New Delhi and inquired about his health.

Rubbishing speculations over political significance behind his visit, Mr Patnaik said that it was a “courtesy call.”

“There is no political significance behind my visit. I just made a courtesy call on Vajpayeeji to inquire about his health. As you know I was a Cabinet Minister in his Central government. The people of Odisha always remember Vajpayeeji,” said Mr Patnaik talking to reporters after visiting the ailing former Prime Minister.

Mr Patnaik spent about 15 minutes with the former Prime Minister.

Although Mr Patnaik described his meeting with the former PM as courtesy call, sources close to the CM said it was calculated bid by him to showcase him as man who has got respect to politicians of ethics and essence even in the party that has been aiming to dislodge him from power in the 2019 assembly elections.

This apart, the sources informed, – by meeting Mr Vajapayee the the chief minister tried to thwart the BJP’s state unit’s attempt to woo the voters by hard-selling the image of the former minister and present PM Narendra Modi.

Sources in the BJD said the party would take to social media platforms to circulate pictures of Mr Patnaik’s meeting with the former PM to take some steam of the BJP’s vociferous campaign against his regime.

The BJP leaders in Bhubaneswar were tightlipped on the CM’s meeting with Mr Vajpayee.