Odisha BJP signals intent to go solo in LS polls amidst stalled alliance talks with BJD
PTC News Desk: In an evening statement on Friday, the Odisha BJP announced its decision to independently contest the forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections. This declaration follows a reported impasse in alliance negotiations with the ruling BJD, where both parties failed to reconcile their respective demands.
After concluding his visit to Delhi, BJP state president Manmohan Samal returned to Odisha and clarified that discussions regarding an alliance were absent during his trip. He emphasised the party's commitment to contesting the elections autonomously, stating, "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."
Asserting the BJP's confidence in its own electoral capabilities, Samal affirmed that the Odisha BJP intends to secure victories based on its own merit.
Meanwhile, BJD leaders VK Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das, who had flown to Delhi on Thursday evening for discussions concerning pre-poll alliance matters with BJP central leaders, returned to Bhubaneswar without making any public statements on the matter.
Why BJP-BJD Alliance Talks Faltered: Demands for Greater Seat Share Cause Disagreement"
PTI, citing insider sources, initially reported that the BJP and BJD had reached a consensus for an alliance. However, tensions arose as both parties insisted on a larger allocation of seats.
According to PTI, the BJD proposed to secure over 100 out of 147 Odisha assembly seats.
"Around 75 percent of the assembly seats are being demanded by the BJD, which is not acceptable to us," revealed a senior BJP official to the news agency, expressing concerns over the potential negative impact on the saffron party's prospects in the state.
Conversely, the BJD remained firm on rejecting the BJP's request for 14 out of the state's 21 Lok Sabha seats. "Entering into a contest with less than 10 LS seats would be detrimental to our party," emphasized a senior BJD leader.
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In the 2019 Odisha assembly elections, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD clinched victory with 112 seats, while securing 12 Lok Sabha seats. In contrast, the BJP secured eight seats in the Lok Sabha.
Between 1998 and 2009, the BJP and BJD formed an alliance. During this period, Naveen Patnaik held the position of Minister of Steel and Mines in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Their alliance proved fruitful in the 1998 general elections, winning 17 out of 21 seats with a substantial 48.7 percent vote share. This success was further solidified in the 1999 elections, with the alliance securing 19 seats. However, their tally slightly decreased to 18 seats in the 2004 elections.
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(Inputs from agencies)
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