No decision yet on joining Janata parivar, says Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday said his BJD is yet to decide on the move by leaders of erstwhile Janata Dal to reunite the Janata parivar to take on Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Our party has taken no stand on that yet. We are still waiting... let's see what happen in future," Patnaik told reporters here on his return from a six-day trip to New Delhi.

Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal-United, Janata Dal-Secular, Indian National Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party had assembled at SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence Nov 6 to work out a strategy to give a tough fight to the BJP in the coming years.

Patnaik had carved the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) out of the Janata Dal in 1997 and named it after his father and former chief minister Biju Patnaik, a senior leader of the erstwhile Janata Dal.

He also said that his party would remain equidistant from the Congress and BJP.

Patnaik indirectly indicated that the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the chit fund scam was politically motivated.

"Number of people thinking that... yes," he said to a query whether the CBI probe is politically motivated.

A BJD MP and a legislator were arrested by the central agency for their alleged complicity in the multi-thousand-crore-rupee chit fund scam.

Patnaik, however, said that it was their personal matter. "The government or the party has nothing to do with it. The truth will come out," he said.