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As negotiations between the BJP and BJD alliance remain deadlocked in the national capital, the Odisha unit of the saffron party has hinted at contesting all 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state independently. BJP state president Manmohan Samal, along with other senior leaders, returned to Bhubaneswar from Delhi, affirming the party’s intent to go solo in the upcoming polls.
Samal clarified that their visit to Delhi was solely focused on strategizing for the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, with no discussions held regarding alliances or seat-sharing arrangements with any party.
“There was no talk on alliance and we (BJP) will go to polls alone,” asserted Samal, expressing confidence in the BJP’s capacity to secure victories in both the assembly and parliamentary elections based on its own strength.
Meanwhile, BJD leaders VK Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das, who rushed to Delhi to discuss alliance issues with BJP central leaders, also returned to Bhubaneswar without disclosing any details about the outcome of their discussions.
Sources of Indian TV revealed that the alliance talks between Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and the BJP encountered obstacles primarily over seat-sharing disagreements. While both parties initially agreed to a pre-poll alliance, discord arose over the allocation of seats.
The BJD, which holds 114 seats in the outgoing assembly, purportedly sought to contest over 100 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, a proposition deemed unacceptable by the BJP. According to sources within the saffron camp, the BJD’s demand for approximately 75% of the assembly seats was met with resistance from the BJP, fearing a detrimental impact on their electoral prospects in the state.
“The BJD is demanding about 75 per cent of the assembly seats which is not acceptable to us,” remarked a senior BJP leader, highlighting the contentious nature of the negotiations and the potential ramifications for both parties.
With alliances hanging in the balance and the possibility of a solo BJP campaign looming large, the political landscape in Odisha braces for heightened uncertainty as the state gears up for the impending electoral showdown.
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