It was KCR who called me: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik
Mr Patnaik told the media in Bhubaneshwar on Wednesday that Mr Rao had called him up and wished to meet him.
Hyderabad: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has punctured Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's claim that Mr Patnaik had invited him for discussions on the Federal Front.
Mr Patnaik told the media in Bhubaneshwar on Wednesday that Mr Rao had called him up and wished to meet him.
“As far as I know, Telangana Chief Minister is going on pilgrimage to Puri. On the way he is paying a courtesy call; there is no discussion on federal front or anything to do with politics.” Mr Patnaik said.
Mr Rao’s office had claimed that Mr Patnaik had invited Mr Rao for talks on the Federal Front.
Its press release said, “Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao will meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the first week of May. This meeting is taking place as part of KCR’s efforts to bring in a qualitative change in the country's politics. Since Odisha legislature is in session now, Navin Patnaik has invited KCR to meet him in the first week of May. For this KCR had agreed.”
The same thing happened with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently, when the TS Chief Minister’s office claimed that Mamata Banerjee called Mr Rao and welcomed his proposal of forming the third front, but Ms Banerjee clarified later that it was Mr Rao who has called her.