In a recent development, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state president, Manmohan Samal, has returned to Odisha after his visit to Delhi on Friday. Samal clarified that the discussions with central leaders focused on preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, with no mention of alliances or seat-sharing.
“We had gone to Delhi to hold discussions with the central leaders on our preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. No talks on alliance or seat-sharing with any party were held during the meeting,” Samal asserted, emphasizing that the BJP in Odisha is prepared to contest and secure victories independently.
On the other hand, leaders from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), VK Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das, returned to Bhubaneswar after a chartered flight to Delhi on Thursday. Despite their silence, it is speculated that both parties, initially considering an alliance, are now at odds over seat distribution.
According to sources, the BJD is reportedly demanding over 100 out of 147 Odisha assembly seats. A senior BJP leader expressed discontent, stating, “The BJD is demanding about 75 per cent of the assembly seats which is not acceptable to us,” highlighting concerns about the potential impact on the BJP’s prospects in the state.
The BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik, won 112 seats in the 2019 Odisha assembly elections and secured 12 Lok Sabha seats, while the BJP won eight. Despite being allies between 1998 and 2009, both parties are currently grappling with seat-sharing disagreements. The BJP is pushing for 14 of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats, a demand not readily accepted by the BJD.
The historical alliance, which saw success in the 1998 and 1999 general elections, winning 17 and 19 seats respectively, slightly dipped to 18 seats in 2004 before the partnership ended in 2009. The evolving situation in Odisha’s political landscape indicates a challenging path ahead for both the BJP and the BJD in the upcoming elections.
Comments