New Delhi: As the Lok Sabha elections are drawing closer, the battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition has turned bitter. Despite the protocol, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik did not arrive for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official programme on Tuesday.
The protocol book prescribes that the CM of a state should accompany the PM during official visits. However, it is not a must if the premier is on a private visit. Since PM Modi was in Odisha to launch several projects on infrastructure development, Patnaik's absence raised a few eyebrows.
It is yet to be seen if Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan will follow his Odisha counterpart's footsteps or adhere to the protocol. PM Modi is slated to inaugurate a road project in Kerala on Tuesday evening.
The protocol had earlier stirred a controversy when then Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan did not accompany the PM during the foundation stone laying ceremony for Nagpur metro rail in 2014. Defending his move, the former CM had said that the protocol says the chief minister should welcome the prime minister during his visit to the state capital.
"I had followed the protocol by welcoming prime minister in Mumbai and had attended all the three functions with him in Mumbai," Chavan said, adding, the function at Nagpur does not involve any protocol issue.
Ahead of the general elections, both Modi and Patnaik have been attacking each other's government. Congress has alleged that PM Modi has maintained a soft stance towards Naveen Patnaik and his party, particularly after BJP's defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattishgarh.
The BJD president had recently said that his party would not be part of the Mahagathbandhan, the grand alliance of opposition parties to counter BJP. Sources in the ruling BJD said that Patnaik prefers not to be seen with the Prime Minister at this juncture since the party has been maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.
On the other hand, Vijayan has been engaged in a tiff with the ruling BJP at the Centre over the Sabarimala row. He had recently said that his Left government would not be cowed down by threats and intimidation and that the saffron party had "no strength for it now."
Comments
0 comment