Pranab bought support by doling out money: Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneshwar, Jul 2: The UPA's presidential nominee

bought the support of the SP and the JD(U) by sanctioning financial packages to

and

, according to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"Pranab Mukherjee as finance minister of India had doled out huge sum of money... lakhs of crores... to certain states like Bihar, Bengal and UP," the BJD chief said here yesterday.

"Could it be that this money is going because he wants certain parties...to support his candidature as Rastrapati (president) of India?" Patnaik wondered.

He pointed out that large amounts were recently allocated to the states where Samajwadi Party, the JD(U) and Trinamool Congress are in power.

"This is not private money but people's money, your money. Why is so much money being given by the central government when the presidential elections are going on?" Patnaik demanded to know.

Incidentally, the BJD is backing PA Sangma in the Presidential elections on Jul 19.

OneIndia News