Analysis | Nothing much should be expected from Naveen Patnaik-Mamata meeting

Amidst talk of revival of third Opposition front ahead of 2024 elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is meeting leaders of non-Congress Opposition parties.

Amidst talk of revival of third Opposition front ahead of 2024 elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is meeting leaders of non-Congress Opposition parties. But, nothing much should be expected from her scheduled meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Ms. Banerjee, who is currently on a three day visit to Odisha, is likely to meet Mr. Patnaik on March 23, a day before her meeting with former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy in Kolkata.

The West Bengal CM scouted for possible sites for a proposed guest house for devotees coming from West Bengal to the coastal town and would visit 12th Century Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri on March 22.

A senior leader in Biju Janata Dal sources said, “Trinamool Congress chairperson is widely known as an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath. Before the last Assembly election in West Bengal, she had invited Sevayats [priests] of Shree Jagannath Temple to perform a special worship for smooth sailing of her party in election. This time, she is in Odisha purely for her spiritual sojourn.”

“Mr. Patnaik, who is known as courteous person, will definitely host or meet his counterpart. In the past, he had extended same courteousness to other leaders irrespective the party they belonged to. Nothing much should be read into the meeting between two leaders,” he pointed out.

BJD’s stated ideological line is that the party will keep equal distance from both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. Under this circumstance, it obvious to consider Mr. Patnaik a suitable constituent of the ‘Third Front’ that is being talked about.

But, Mr. Patnaik had never expressed national ambition of going beyond the boundary of Odisha and continued to consolidate party’s strength as a regional player having ‘cordial’ relationship with the party at the Centre.