BJP invites Naveen Patnaik for swearing-in ceremony

Bhubaneswar: A delegation of the Odisha BJP led by its state President Manmohan Samal on Tuesday met outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and invited him for the swearing-in ceremony of the first-ever BJP government in Odisha scheduled on Wednesday.

The new Chief Minister and his council of ministers will take oath in a grand ceremony at the Janata Maidan here on Wednesday afternoon. Samal along with senior party leaders Basanta Kumar Panda, Suresh Pujari, Samir Mohanty, and Nityananda Gond went to the Naveen Niwas to hand over the invitation to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo.

“We came here to extend the invitation to Naveen Patnaik for the swearing-in ceremony which will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers from other states. He has accepted the invitation and assured us that he will attend the event,” Samal said.

The state BJP chief, however, denied having any discussion with the outgoing CM over the current political scenario in the state. He said that invitations for the oath-taking ceremony will also be sent to the Congress President and senior leaders of different political parties. A special team of the state BJP also went to the Jagannath Temple in Puri on Tuesday to invite Lord Jagannath for the oath-taking ceremony.