Patnaik holds talks with BJD leaders to bridge rift

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday began talks with leaders of his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to bridge the rift that had surfaced while he was abroad, a senior party leader said. “He has begun discussions with party leaders at his official residence. He is meeting them in small groups. This process will continue for some time,” a BJD office bearer told IANS. [caption id=“attachment_328733” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik returned home from Britain Thursday evening, two days earlier than scheduled. Reuters”]  [/caption] Patnaik returned home from Britain Thursday evening, two days earlier than scheduled. The tensions in the party came to the fore when Rajya Sabha MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra Tuesday held meetings with a large number of legislators at his residence. He also openly criticised the functioning of the government and the party a day later. Opponents saw the meeting as a move to destabilise Patnaik and have demanded action against him. Mohapatra, who has been advisor to the chief minister for more than a decade, denied the allegations and said the legislators met him because they were unhappy with the present state of affairs in the party and the government. Patnaik has said he would take the “right decision” after holding discussions with senior party leaders on the developments that had taken place during his absence. IANS