Gopalkrishna Gandhi meets Odisha CM

BHUBANESWAR: Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Tuesday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence here fuelling speculation that the visit was linked to Presidential polls. While the Chief Minister’s office described the three-hour luncheon meeting as a courtesy visit, there was speculation in political circles here that Gopalkrishna, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is likely to contest for  President’s post for which he needed Naveen’s support. The election is slated for July. Gandhi’s visit assumed significant as it came a day after media reports that non-UPA and non-NDA parties are planning to support APJ Abdul Kalam’s candidature. Vice-President Hamid Ansari, whose name is also making rounds for the post, had also met the Chief Minister here recently. The ruling BJD headed by Naveen has 30,215 votes in the electoral college with 104 MLAs and 21 MPs. Patnaik is yet to make his stand known about whom his party would support for the posts of President and Vice-President.