In a significant political development, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in intense discussions on Wednesday for a potential alliance ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Leaders from both parties, former allies who separated in 2009, were actively negotiating a seat-sharing agreement for both the assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled in Odisha this summer.
The BJD, known as a “friendly party” to the ruling BJP due to past support on crucial bills, was being pursued by the BJP to rekindle ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The coalition aims to secure over 400 seats in the upcoming elections.
On Wednesday, Naveen Patnaik, the chief of BJD and the Chief Minister of Odisha, held crucial meetings with senior party members in Bhubaneshwar. Simultaneously, discussions took place in the national capital where the BJP deliberated on the specifics of seat-sharing for the 147 assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. The BJP’s core group on Odisha also convened in the capital to finalize candidates for the Lok Sabha polls ahead of the central election committee’s meeting.
Sources within the BJP revealed, “The BJP wants to contest more seats than the BJD. In the last election, the party secured eight out of the 21 seats, and this time it is eager to contest more than 15 if an alliance is announced. Similar expectations have been expressed for the assembly seats.”
In the 2019 elections, the BJD won 112 assembly seats, forming the government in the state, while the BJP secured 23 seats, a notable increase from the 2014 tally.
In terms of Lok Sabha representation, the BJD won 12 seats, the BJP secured eight, and the Congress managed one. Following two meetings of senior leaders at Naveen Patnaik’s residence, the BJD issued a cryptic statement emphasizing Odisha’s progress and the party’s commitment to the state’s development.
Senior BJD leader Arun Sahoo stated that various issues were discussed during the meetings, while BJP MP Jual Oram mentioned ongoing discussions about an alliance, asserting that the central leaders would make the final decision. Both parties are yet to confirm the alliance, keeping their strategies under wraps.
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