The suspense over the possibility of a Biju Janata Dal (BJD)-BJP alliance in Odisha is over with top leaders of both the parties making it clear that they would be contesting the elections separately. State BJP president Manmohan Samal and BJD general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das said their parties would contest all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats in the state on their own strength.
“BJP will fight this election alone in all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats with the aim of creating a developed India and a developed Odisha under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of four and a half crore Odias,” Samal said in a post on X on Friday.
BJD general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das said in a post on X, “ BJD will contest in all 147 assembly constituencies and all 21 Lok Sabha constituencies with the support of the people of Odisha and win more than three fourth seats under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. BJD will continue to take decisions keeping people of Odisha in the forefront always and their welfare in true spirit of cooperative federalism and statesmanship required for nation building.” He said “ New Odisha and Empowered Odisha will be our goal and we are on track to achieve this under the leadership of our leader Naveen Patnaik.”
Speculation about the revival of the BJD-BJP alliance, which had collapsed ahead of 2009 elections, had gained momentum in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 5 visit to the state during which he described chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik as a “popular” chief minister. The bonhomie between the two leaders during the visit had set the stage for talks between the two parties.
