Bhubaneswar: Making it clear that V K Pandian is not his successor, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said that the people of Odisha will decide who will succeed him. “He (Pandian) is not my successor … I have said repeatedly that my successor will be decided by the people of the state. That is the natural process,” the BJD president said in an exclusive interview to ANI.
Dismissing notions that Pandian is being placed above other BJD leaders, Naveen said, “I find all of this quite nonsensical.” Stressing that party members have a great say, he said they have high positions and people’s representatives and they hold all powers that they should in a democracy. After resigning from his post as an officer, Pandian has also stated that he has joined politics, he said.
The Chief Minister also strongly denied that Pandian takes decisions on his behalf and allegation regarding this holds no weight. Regarding personal attacks on him by the opposition, Naveen claimed that they are getting more and more desperate as their popularity is waning in the country and the state as well.
On the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, the CM claimed that BJD will post very handsome results at the hustings and form a solid government again in the state. The party will also win a good number of Lok Sabha seats, he said.
Naveen also expressed optimism about remaining the Chief Minister for all five years if BJD wins the Assembly polls in the state. Regarding promises made by BJD ahead of the elections, the CM said, “we have done a great deal for the people of the state and we want to continue doing much more.”
Asserting that his health condition is absolutely perfect, Naveen said, “I face no health issues at all, I am in excellent health. I have been campaigning for the last month in a very hot season and I am fine.”
About a viral video showing his hand shaking, claimed that it is not a medical condition at all and the whole thing has been exaggerated for no reason. Noting that he has been in politics for the last 27 years and given the position of BJD president, Naveen said he has been running it well since then and will continue to do so. “I mingle with people the whole time. In the past month all I have been doing is mingling with the people of the state,” he said.