Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) constantly speculating over his health issues and overdependence on trusted aide V K Pandian, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Friday that he is in good health campaigning in the state for the polls.

“As you can see I am in very good health and have been campaigning all over the state for months. There is a limit to the number of lies the BJP can tell,” Patnaik said, countering the saffron party’s propaganda on his health, ability to make decisions, and dependence on bureaucrats.

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CM Patnaik came under scathing attack from the BJP during the poll campaigning. Right from BJP heavyweights to state-level leaders, none has spared any effort to undermine Patnaik raking up what they say is his falling health and hijacking his administration by Pandian.

It’s pertinent to note here that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a poll rally on 21 May, targeted Patnaik insinuating his failing health, saying Naveen Patnaik, at 77, should retire in view of his “advanced age and health issues”.

Pandian, the second-in-command in the Odisha government, who has been BJP’s principal target, reacted to BJP’s charges, saying, “I only hope that BJP comes with innovative ideas instead of talking about something which is non-existent. You are all watching the chief minister. It is very unfortunate, below the belt.”

“People of Odisha will not appreciate this kind of demeaning of their chief minister who enjoys popularity among the people of Odisha. I only want to let them come up with something innovative. It is so substandard,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Odisha unit of BJP, in the latest diatribe against the Patnaik-Pandian duo, alleged that the CM is held captive by Pandian and a handful of non-Odia officers and sought the Odisha director general of police to free him from their clutches.

“You must be aware of the sensitive matter of Odisha. Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of our state has been ‘captured’ by former private secretary VK Pandian in the recent past. It has been proved by a recent sequence of events. From the videos released on the social media platforms by the BJD, it has been substantiated beyond reasonable doubt that Pandian and a handful of non-Odia officers under him have entirely captured CM Patnaik,” former president of the Odisha BJP unit Samir Mohanty wrote in a letter addressed to the DGP.

“We are very much doubtful whether the chief secretary and director general of police are able to talk to him (the CM) as per the protocol,” he added.

“All the people of Odisha do have the right to know the ‘condition’ of the chief minister. Therefore, the Odisha BJP requests you to create an opportunity to free the CM from the clutches of Pandian in the presence of a judge and dignitaries and enable him to talk to media persons. We hope that you will pay due emphasis to this sensitive matter and initiate immediately, the letter read.