'Naveen's political immaturity is exposed in prez polls'

With the Nationalist Congress Party asking its leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma to opt out of the Presidential race, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC).

On Friday said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was now "exposed" in the process as he had proposed Sangma's name for the post.

"Naveen Patnaik's immaturity in politics is now exposed," OPCC media cell chairman Narasingha Mishra told reporters replying to a question on Patnaik's role in the Presidential polls.

Raising question on Patnaik and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jaylalithaa's silence over the Presidential polls for the last few couple of days, Mishra said the Odisha chief minister had been thoroughly exposed.

"As Sangma is not getting his own party's support, it is politically wrong on the part of Patnaik to project him as Presidential candidate," the Congress leader said.

Mishra's statement came after Nationalist Congress Party general secretary D P Tripathi informing Sangma that the party wanted him to be out of the race.

Patnaik was the first to moot the name of Sangma for the presidential candidate. Sangma later got support from AIADMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, Sangma had made it clear that he would remain in the race.

The Biju Janata Dal leaders in Odisha also said that they were still backing Sangma as the Presidential candidate. "We have been supporting Sangma's candidature after his name was announced by the chief minister," BJD MP Bhartuhari Mahtab had told reporters yesterday adding as of now "there was no question of re-considering on the Presidential candidate."

The BJD has 104 MLAs and 21 MPs.