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Bhubaneswar, July 18: Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) head and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday announced his party’s support to Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the Opposition’s candidate for the Vice-Presidential election.
Earlier, the regional party had supported NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the Presidential election, polling for which was held Monday. However, Patnaik preferred to go with Opposition parties this time.
“The Biju Janata Dal will support Sri Gopalkrishna Gandhi,” the BJD president told the media here Tuesday.
Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is also said to be a close friend of the Chief Minister since long before he entered politics. In 2012, Patnaik had described Gandhi as an “old and valued friend”. “We were friends even when I was not in politics,” he had said.
Patnaik, however, did not explain why he and his party decided to support Gandhi.
While the BJD president refrained from answering questions related to his support to Gandhi, party spokesperson Samir Ranjan Das said, “It is not necessary to cite the reason for supporting Gandhi’s Vice-Presidential candidature.”
On the other hand, BJD parliamentary party spokesman Kalikesh Singhdeo, said, “By extending support to Gandhi, BJD has proven that it has been maintaining equal distance from the Congress and the BJP.”
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said that the party president has taken the decision after deliberations with senior party leaders.
Naidu, Gandhi file nominations
New Delhi: Ruling NDA’s candidate M Venkaiah Naidu and Opposition-backed Gopalkrishna Gandhi filed their nominations for election to the Vice-President’s post Tuesday, the last day for filing of papers for the August 5 poll. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on Wednesday.