BJD to back NDA candidate in the RS deputy chairman election

Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday declared that his party would support NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh in the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election.

The election is likely to be held on Monday.

Patnaik made the announcement after his JD(U) and Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar called him up in the morning, a CMO release said.

On September 10, Nitish talked to Patnaik over telephone seeking BJD’s support for Harivansh, who has filed nomination as the NDA candidate.

Notably, BJD had supported Harivansh in the 2018 election as well following telephonic talk between Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar.