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By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 14, 2018: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s residence in New Delhi.

Naveen, who left for the national capital on a 4-day visit earlier in the day, called on the PM in the evening and spent about 20 minutes with him.

Naveen gave the recently released book on the legendary Biju Patnaik (Naveen’s father and former Odisha Chief Minister) to Modi.

“I met the Prime Minister for 20 minutes and it was a courtesy call. I gave him the recently published book on Biju babu, a biography on Biju babu. And, we discussed on Biju babu for a while,” Naveen told reporters soon after the meeting.

When asked is there any discussion took place on Polavaram issue, the CM said in negative. “There was no discussion of that kind. It was just a courtesy call,” he added.

Naveen also will attend a high-level review meeting in New Delhi on the upcoming men’s World Hockey Cup which is scheduled to be held in Odisha.

Before leaving for New Delhi, the BJD chief confidently predicted that his party will win the by-election for the Bijepur Assembly seat by a good margin.

“We will be winning the Bijepur by-poll with good margin as our development works and welfare schemes will work for us,” Naveen told reporters here while leaving for New Delhi.

The by-poll to the Bijepur Assembly constituency is scheduled to be held on February 24 which is witnessing a triangular fight with the BJD, the BJP and the Congress.

The BJD has fielded Rita Sahu, widow of Congress MLA Subal Sahu, in the Bijepur by-poll. The BJP has fielded Ashok Panigrahi in the election while the Congress has pitched Pranaya Sahu into the fray.

Naveen is scheduled to address a few rallies in Bijepur Assembly segment on February 19 and 21, party sources said.