Suspense continues over BJD-BJP alliance as talks remain unfruitful

Talks between the two parties for a possible alliance in the assembly as well as the Lok Sabha elections did not materialise since the BJD demanded 100 seats in the 147-member Assembly. In return, the BJP sought 10 of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats, which was not favourable to the BJD, sources said.

New Delhi: The Biju Janata Dal’s alliance talks with the BJP remained inconclusive, with the BJP’s state leader Mohammad Samal saying that the two parties will not contest together. Differences over seats between the two former allies have stopped an alliance from happening.

“There was no talk on alliance with the BJD and we will fight the polls alone. State leaders from Odisha BJP were in 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. The BJP will contest the twin polls on its own strength,” Samal told reporters,” Samal told reporters.

The party’s election in-charge Vijay Pal Tomar, too, said no alliance talks took place.

Talks between the two parties for a possible alliance in the assembly as well as the Lok Sabha elections did not materialise since the BJD demanded 100 seats in the 147-member Assembly. The BJP did not agree to that. In return, the BJP sought 10 of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats, which was not favourable to the BJD.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJD had won 12 seats and BJP won 8 in the state. The BJD had been an ally of the BJP between 1998 and 2009.

Amid the speculations, in a candid video Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said that rumour and lies have no place in politics. In a video, Patnaik’s aide VK Pandian is seen asking him what is ‘subutu kharab’ (the worst thing) in politics. “Gujjab (rumour) and michha katha (lies),” Patnaik replies.

Pandian was in Delhi with the party’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das to hold alliance talks. BJP MP Jual Oran had then confirmed it.

The BJD is not the only old time ally the BJP had explored alliance talks with. The Telugu Desam Party last week announced that it will return to the NDA, along with Pawan Kalyan’s Jan