Bhubaneswar, Nov 7: A flight carrying BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik to Nuapada was delayed by nearly 25 minutes on Friday due to flight clearance issues, officials at the Biju Patnaik International Airport said.

The delay triggered sharp reactions from BJD leaders, who alleged that authorities deliberately held up the flight clearance to disrupt Patnaik’s pre-scheduled roadshow and public meeting in the poll-bound district. Party leaders termed the delay “intentional and politically motivated,” calling for an inquiry into the incident.

However, Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan clarified that the delay was caused by the flight operator’s failure to submit the flight plan on time, which led to the absence of an Air Defence Clearance (ADC) number. “We immediately coordinated with authorities in Kolkata to obtain the clearance, which resulted in a delay of about 25 minutes,” Pradhan explained.

Patnaik’s flight later landed at the Khariar Road helipad in Nuapada around 12:30 PM, where he went on to lead a massive roadshow and campaign for BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria ahead of the bypoll.

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