Against the backdrop of SPsupremo Mulayam Singh Yadav raising the issue of a ThirdFront, BJD chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiktoday said he is watching the situation as it develops beforetaking a call on it.
Asked about his views on the formation of a ThirdFront, Patnaik said, "We will have to wait and watch and seehow these matters progress."
Patnaik was here to meet Water Resources MinisterHarish Rawat to discuss the hurdles in the Polavaram projectand other water-related issues.
Yadav has floated again the idea of a Third Frontapparently with an eye on the general elections slated for2014. BJD had moved away from NDA before the Assembly polls inOdisha in 2009.
Rawat dismissed the idea of a Third Front, sayingseveral attempts have been made to form such a coalition inthe past but these have had "premature abortions".
He said Mulayam Singh Yadav may be making suchstatements but he is still supporting the UPA government fromoutside and will continue to do so to protect secularism andprovide stability.
Rawat said Yadav's praise for senior BJP leader L KAdvani may have come due to their old ties when both wereassociated with the V P Singh government in 1989.
He expressed confidence that Yadav will be with UPA afterthe 2014 polls as well.