Srikant Jena claims secret ties between Naveen and Narendra Modi

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena today claimed that Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik continued to harbour secret relationship with Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is maintaining secret ties with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and there is every likelihood of the BJD president forming an alliance with the saffron party after the general elections, Jena said while campaigning for party candidates contesting urban local body elections.

"I have definite information that the two (Naveen and Narendra) are in touch with each other and had reached some kind of an understanding for a future tie-up. I want the people of the state to know about this secret deal," he said.

Jena's claims, however, were rejected by BJD leader and Energy Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo.

"We have been maintaining equi-distance from both the Congress and the BJP. BJD has no relationship with the BJP ever since alliance between the two broke prior to the 2009 elections," Sahoo said.

He said the chief minister had made clear about the BJD's stand several times. "The chief minister has also disapproved of the leaderships of Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi for the country," Sahoo said.