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Bhubaneswar, July 14: NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind met BJD MLAs and MPs at Orissa Assembly Friday. He was on a one-day visit to the state. Kovind also met BJP legislators separately and asserted that the state will not be denied its constitutional rights in a federal structure.
During his meeting with BJD legislators, which lasted about an hour, the leaders apprised Kovind of the various issues concerning the state. BJD Lok Sabha chief whip Tathagata Satpathy said issues concerning the state, including the Mahanadi water dispute, and the fact the Centre was neglecting the state, were raised at the meeting. MP AU Singh Deo said Kovind has assured to work impartially, while BJD vice-president and minister SN Patro said the presidential candidate has “assured to protect interest of Orissa”.
Kovind, accompanied by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda, spent about an hour at Naveen Niwas, the chief minister’s residence, for a luncheon meeting with Patnaik.
“I am very happy to be here and thankful to BJD led by Naveen Patnaik for supporting me,” Kovind told reporters. Patnaik had already announced BJD’s support to the NDA nominee and described him as a “distinguished dalit leader”.
The chief minister, in his turn, while reiterating his party’s support for Kovind, also rejected the possibility of cross voting from the party at the election. BJD has 117 MLAs in 147-member state Assembly and 28 MPs (20 in Lok Sabha and eight in Rajya Sabha).
Kovind was earlier received by leaders of BJD and BJP at the city airport. He also garlanded a statue of Buxi Jagabandhu and met BJP MLAs and leaders at the party’s legislature party leader K V Singhdeo’s residence before leaving for New Delhi in the evening.
