No support to Congress or BJP, says BJD

Hinting that it was open to aligning with the Third Front after the Lok Sabha polls, the BJD has said that it will not support either a Congress-led or a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.

"The BJD will not support either a Congress-led or a BJP-led government," BJD chief and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said when asked what will be 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 like 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.

Though 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.