Won't back Cong-led or BJP-led govt at Centre: Naveen

Hinting that it was open to aligning with the Third Front after the Lok Sabha polls, Naveen Patnaik said his party would support neither a Congress-led nor a BJP-led government at the Centre.

The BJD chief and Orissa Chief Minister made this statement in response to a question on his party's stand after the polls.

Patnaik's statement assumes significance as it came after CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan met the Orissa strongman yesterday and requested him to join the Third Front.

The BJD chief, however, also said "it is too premature to say anything on the possibility of BJD joining the Third Front" and added a clear picture would emerge after completion of the general elections even as Bardhan said he should be given time to take his decision.

Immediately after the BJD snapped ties with the BJP and NDA, Left leaders such as CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury had rushed to meet Patnaik and persuade him to join the newly-formed Third Front. JD(S) chief and former minister H D Deve Gowda had also invited the BJD leader to participate in the launching rally of the newly-formed grouping at Tumkur on March 12.

Although the BJD had declined the invitation it had also not made clear earlier whether it would support the UPA or the NDA after the polls.

To a query, the BJD president said he had no aspiration to become the prime minister as "I will like to serve as chief minister of Orissa and work for the people of the state."

On the chances of making Patnaik as the Third Front's prime ministerial candidate, Bardhan shot back "do you think we lack PM candidates?"

The BJD has, however, said that it would go in for seat sharing with Left parties for the assembly elections in the state even if it does not join the Third Front at this stage.

In this context, Bhardhan said the CPI would wait for five or six days to sit for seat-sharing talks with BJD.

"Let the chief minister take his time and tell us when he is free to talk on seat-sharing," Bardhan said adding Left parties would like to have an alliance with BJD after it snapped ties with BJP.