Odisha CM’s nephew Arun says ‘no’ to politics ‘for now’

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jan13:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s nephew Arun Patnaik today poured cold water on the aspirations of sycophants in the ruling BJD, who have often clamouring for his entry into politics to carry forward the legacy  of Biju Patnaik, after whom the ruling party is named.

“I have no intentions of joining politics right now. I would not like to make any comments on it now,” said Arun Patnaik in his first ever interaction with the media here. He was talking to media persons briefll after he, his father Prem Patnaik and uncle Naveen Patnaik signed documents at the sub-registrar’s office here gifting Anand Bhawan, the birth place of Biju Patnaik to the state .

The junior Patnaik said he was happy that the people of the state loved his uncle Naveen Patnaik so much adding that he had come here to sign documents to gift Anand Bhawan to the state.

The name of Arun, son of Naveen’s elder brother Prem Patnaik, had done the rounds as a possible successor to the BJD supremo in the run up to the polls when speculation about Naveen’s health was at fever pitch.

Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy, the irrepressible Pipli strongman, had taken everyone by surprise by openly declaring on July 28 last year that he would fully support Arun in case the latter decides to rope him into the party.

The Pipili strongman had taken Arun’s name when there was a perception about dissidence within the BJD in the month of July even after the BJD won 117 seats in the Assembly and 20 in the Lok Sabha. Maharathy’s statement was interpreted as testing the waters for a possible coronation  of Arun Patnaik in the wake of 25 disgruntled young MLAs of the party having a meeting in Cuttack. The MLAs had, however, had claimed that it was just a ‘get together’.