Rival regional party says Modi government not corrupt

Though down in the dumps in both the Telugu states, the BJP had some good news to cheer at the national level on Sunday. Two regional parties with considerable regional influence have endorsed the BJP policies at the national and international level. The two parties are – the Janata Dal Secular of Karnataka and the Biju Janata Dal, the ruling party of Odisha.

In a significant pointer, BJD’s boss and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he would give eight out of 10 marks to the BJP government at the Centre on its handling of international affairs. He said that the BJP government has largely worked to protect the interests of the country on the international arena.

Speaking at the Odisha literary festival, Patnaik said that the Central Government was the least corrupt of all the Central Governments in the country so far. His comments assume significance as despite fighting the BJP at the state level, Patnaik has been friendly with it at the national level. He has voted with the BJP on various issues such as triple talaq and article 370.

He also strongly supported the 33 per cent reservation for the women in Lok Sabha and the legislative assembly. He said his father Biju Patnaik has implemented 33 per cent reservations for women in the local bodies during his tenure as the chief minister. He said he had hiked it to 50 per cent

The JDS, till recently an adversary of the BJP, has decided to join the NDA making politics in Karnataka bipolar.