Patnaik returns home, gets rousing welcome

Bhubaneswar: Thousands of Biju Janata Dal workers and leaders on Thursday welcomed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik when he arrived in the state capital after an eight-day trip to Britain.[caption id=“attachment_328110” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Rousing welcome. Image courtesy PIB”]  [/caption] Patnaik’s return was anxiously awaited by the party workers in the wake of an alleged rebellion by a section of Biju Janata Dal legislators, led by Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. State ministers, legislators and members of Parliament greeted Patnaik with flowers as soon as he came out of the airport. People were also waiting for him at his official residence. Due to the gathering, passengers had a tough time reaching the airport to catch their flights. Patnaik’s loyalists had alleged that Mohapatra on Tuesday night held a meeting with a large number of legislators at his residence with an aim to destabilise the chief minister. They said Mohapatra aborted the move after realising that he did not have the required numbers in his favour. Mohapatra, who had been an advisor to the chief minister, however denied the allegations and said the legislators met him because they were unhappy with the party’s activities. IANS