Uncertainty still looms large over the proposed BJD-BJP alliance in Odisha as both the parties remained reticent over the issue.
Odisha State BJP President Manmohan Samal who on Thursday morning told reporters that his party will go to the polls alone, changed his voice an hour later. He said the central leaders of the party will take final call on the Odisha affair.
The jubilation that followed the solo fight announcement by Manmohan Samal faded when he deleted his tweet on his official X handle.
In his tweet, the BJP state president had categorically stated that the BJP will fight the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections all alone.
Earlier in the morning, Samal had declared that his party would 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 seats from Odisha,” Samal said soon after his return from New Delhi. He had gone to New Delhi 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 alliance with the BJD ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections which will be held simultaneously in the state this year.
Samal had added that the final declaration on the BJD’s Odisha mission will be announced by the party’s central leadership and parliamentary board.
Amid the uncertainty, BJD President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik convened a meeting of the senior party leaders and held detailed discussions with them with regard to election preparation. The meeting lasted for more than two hours.
“In the meeting, the CM took stock of our election preparations. He also gave us some suggestions and advice on how to put up a better show this time,” said BJD vice president Debi Prasad Mishra.
BJD leader Sambit Routray said there was no discussion from the side of his party 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 top leaders of both BJD and BJP have been holding secret parleys for a few days now for a possible seat-sharing arrangement in Odisha. However, the talks have not made much headway as both parties are insistent on the lion's share of Lok Sabha and assembly seats.Uncertainty still hovers over BJD-BJP alliance proposal in Odisha
