Bhubaneswar:18/7/17 : In a departure from its earlier stand in favour of NDA nominee in presidential election, BJD today announced support for UPA vice presidential nominee Gopal Krushna Gandhi.
Odisha’s ruling BJD had earlier extended support to NDA’s presidential candidature of Ramnath Kovind.
Odisha chief minister, putting all speculation over the regional party’s support vice presidential nominee to rest, made an official endorsement to Gandhi’s candidature.
“The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will support Shri Gopal Gandhi as the Vice President candidate,” Patnaik told reporters here in his typical one-line statement.
Political analysts however are of the view that BJD’s support to Gandhi was apolitical as party supremo Patnaik had personal relationship bond with the UPA nominee.