BHUBANESHWAR: Sending a clear message to the people of Odisha on his health condition, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday walked from his residence to a polling booth for exercising his franchise in the elections to urban local bodies.
Accompanied by security personnel, Patnaik walked from his residence 'Naveen Niwas' to Aerodrome Upper Primary School in ward no. 53 of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), covering a distance of around quarter kilometer.
Later, he came out of the booth and showed the waiting camera persons the indelible ink mark on his left hand index finger.
This is not the first time that Patnaik attempted to send a message to the people about his health.
On February 18, in the midst of the panchayat polls, Patnaik who is often criticised for remaining indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, claimed that he was fit ad fine while visiting Shree Lingaraj Temple in the city.
The chief minister had also said he was in perfect health and committed to serving the people of Odisha. This clarification came in the backdrop of increased discussion over his health by the opposition camp.
"Whenever there are elections, there are these rumours. But I assure you that I am in perfect health and committed to serving the people of Odisha," the 75-year-old chief minister had said during the panchayat elections.
The opposition BJP and Congress, however, said that the chief minister should start attending his office in Lok Seva Bhawan and Assembly proceedings regularly to prove his fitness.
Though Patnaik has been attending official meetings virtually, he has not gone to the assembly and his office since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patnaik, who is also the president of the ruling BJD, did not campaign during both the panchayat and urban polls and avoided mingling with the people, 'perhaps due to the pandemic', a senior minister said.
The chief minister himself abides by COVID appropriate behaviour and asks people to follow it, the minister said.