OD-PM-CM

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen

Patnaik will not attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's

official programme during his one-day tour to the state

Tuesday as he would be busy in state government programmes,

official sources said.

The Prime Minister during his visit to Bolangir in

Western Odisha is scheduled to launch several projects on

Infrastructure development, Connectivity and Ease of Doing

Business.

Modi will also dedicate Multi-Modal Logistics Park

(MMLP) in Jharsuguda and new Railway Line to be inaugurated

between Balangir-Bichupali.

After attending the official programme, Modi is

expected to address a public rally at Patharachepa ground in

Bolangir at 11.45 am.

However, Patnaik will not be able to attend such

function as he will remain busy at the state government's

"Krushi Odisha" programme.

Patnaik to address the farmers at the meeting.

Both the prime minister and the chief minister are

scheduled to attend programmes in different areas of the state

at 11 am.

However, sources in the chief minister's office said,

one minister may be deputed to attend the prime minister's

official programme.

Last time when Modi visited Baripada in north Odisha

on January 5, Patnaik was not present there as he attended an

official programme at Puri. Odisha'a Steel and Mines Minister

Prafulla Mallick represented the state at the PM's function.

However, the chief minister had attended the official

function of the Prime Minister Modi when he came to Khurda

near Bhubaneswar on December 24.

Ahead of the general elections, both the leaders have

been attacking each other's government, though Modi did not

take the name of ruling BJD or Patnaik in his speeches in

those programmes.

Modi, however, on his public meetings at Jharsuguda

and Talcher on September 22, 2018, had criticised Patnaik and

his government.

Opposition Congress has alleged that Modi has been

maintaining soft attitude towards Patnaik and his party,

particularly after BJP's defeat in three states of Rajasthan,

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattishgarh.

Sources in the ruling BJD said Patnaik prefers not to

be seen with the prime minister at this juncture as the

regional outfit has been maintaining equi-distance from

both the BJP and the Congress.