BJD-BJP Alliance Talks Fail, BJP To Fight Lok Sabha, Assembly Polls Alone Says State BJP Chief
Talks over the proposed re-alliance between Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party seem to have failed as the saffron party state president Manmohan Samal on Thursday declared that his party will go to the polls alone and form the next government in the state.
“We will fight the elections all alone and form the next government in the state. We will also ensure that the BJP wins the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats from Odisha,” Samal said soon after his return from New Delhi.
Samal was in New Delhi for four days to hold talks with party’s senior leaders amid the speculation that the BJP might re-enter into an alliance with the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections which will be held simultaneously in the state this year.
Samal added that the final declaration on the BJP’s Odisha mission will be announced by the party’s central leadership and parliamentary board.
BJD leader Sambit Routray reacted to the development, saying there was no discussion from his party's side on forging an alliance with the BJP.
“Have you heard from any of our spokespersons about forging an alliance? We have enough strength to fight the polls and form the government for the sixth consecutive term,” said Routray when asked to react to Samal’s statement.
Sources said both BJD and BJP leaders were holding secret parleys for a possible seat-sharing arrangement in Odisha. However, the talks failed as both parties insisted for lion’s shares in Lok Sabha and assembly seats. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats of which BJP won 8 in 2019 while the BJD got 12. The Congress won one seat only. Of the 147 assembly seats, the BJP had won 23.
Samal said the state election committee will meet here on Friday to finalise the candidates' list.
“It’s moment to celebrate. All BJP workers and cadres in the state are now in jubilation after our president Manmohan Samal declared that we would fight the elections alone. People of Odisha are now fed up with the present government,” said Aparajita Sarangi, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Bhubaneswar.
