BJD to hold Swabhiman Rally in New Delhi today

New Delhi, June 12:

Chief Minister

is set to lead a Swabhiman Rally here on Wednesday, demanding special status for the state. He said it was a well-deserved status. Patnaik said although Odisha contributes heavily to the national economy, it gets pittance in return.

Sources said a BJD delegation will meet President Pranab Mukherjee to put forward its demand. Patnaik said he had collected signatures of nearly one crore people and those will be submitted to the President on Wednesday evening along with a memorandum seeking special status for the state.

The BJD chief also said that he will maintain an equidistance from either the UPA and NDA and eye a federal or third front, something which Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee spoke about on her Facebook wall on Monday.

Patnaik also said that he was not in the running for the prime minister's job.

BJD leader Jay Panda said they were not in Delhi to beg for something but to demand their constitutional right.

Other regional leaders like Banerjee and Nitish Kumar also held rallies in the national capital in the recent past to exhibit their show of strength at the national capital.

OneIndia News