Ending the week-long speculation over the Biju Janata Dal’s possible participation in the proposed National Democratic Alliance rally in Delhi, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said his party would not join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led platform.
“I have taken a decision. The BJD will not be attending that (the NDA) rally at Delhi,” Mr. Patnaik, who is also the party chief, told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
The BJD, which was a part of the NDA for about a decade till last general elections in 2009, was invited to attend the rally against alleged “corruption” at the Centre.
NDA convenor and Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav had invited Mr. Patnaik to join the rally as the BJD was also protesting against the United Progressive Alliance government over alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allotment and the conduct of the Commonwealth Games.
Mr. Patnaik, who took about a week’s time to take a decision, had severed his party’s ties with the BJP and also the NDA just ahead of the general elections in 2009.
Meanwhile, the BJP said it was planning a rally in Bhubaneswar against the Patnaik government over the Vedanta issue. “Party president Nitin Gadkari is likely to attend the rally,” BJP state unit president Jual Oram said.
