Former BJP MLA Dilip Ray praises Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, sparks speculation on joining BJD

Now praising the CM, Ray said in a beach festival at Gopalpur, “I want to thank Naveen Babu and the state government…they have taken Odisha tourism forward. For the first time, they brought World Hockey here. You open any magazine and now you see an article on Odisha”.

“He (Naveen) is doing another great work by making improvements to Jagannath Temple, Lingaraj Temple and Konark (temple)”, Ray added, also claiming “no resident of Odisha or lover of Jagannath can forget this (gesture)”. He also reminded the audience of his past ties with Biju Patnaik.

The comment has prompted chatter as to whether the leader will return to BJD, which is currently serving its fifth continuous stint in the state.

On Ray’s comments, some BJD leaders say the party’s crushing majority in the state assembly is expected to help bag four Rajya Sabha seats that will become vacant next year, for which there is intense lobbying from within and outside the party.