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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday responded to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's claim that he was being controlled by BJD leader VK Pandian during the rally and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is known for raising "non-issues."
"I believe that the BJP which is known to make non-issues into issues, are discussing my hands. This will sadly not work," Odisha CM said. Earlier today, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lashed out at Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik's close aide and senior BJD leader VK Pandian, claiming that the ex-bureaucrat has held Patnaik captive and is controlling even the BJD leader's hand movements. "This is a deeply distressing video. VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex-bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha! BJP is determined is give back the reins of Odisha to the people of the State," Assam CM posted on X. Patnaik, who has been in power as the chief minister since 2000, is seeking a record sixth term in simultaneous state elections. The assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the BJD-ruled state are being held across four phases, from May 13 to June 1. The counting of votes for all phases in the state and elsewhere in the country will be held on June 4. In the last assembly elections in 2019, the BJD won the maximum number of seats, winning 112 out of the 146 seats. The BJP won 23 seats, while Congress had to be content with just 9. (ANI)
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