Bhubaneswar, July 22: Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Monday rebutted a national media news report that claimed his former aide VK Pandian has offered to help the BJP to grow its base in the state.
Patnaik termed the report as "false, motivated and defamatory" and said that Pandian has served the state and party with utmost dedication and has been honoured for the same.
Pandian, who was a bureaucrat before he turned a politician declared his withdrawal from active politics in June this year following Biju Janata Dal's debacle in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Odisha.
"This is completely false, motivated, defamatory and malicious. As I have stated earlier Mr Pandian has served the state and party with utmost dedication efficiency and integrity and he is known and respected for the same," Naveen Patnaik posted on the X, reacting to the said news report.
During the campaign for assembly polls, Pandian had said he would quit politics if Naveen Patnaik did not become the chief minister for sixth successive term. However, the BJP had a historic win to form its first government in Odisha.
The party won 78 of 147 seats with the Biju Janata Dal reduced to 51 seats. The BJP also won 20 of 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and Congress 1 while the BJD failed to open its account.
