Bhubaneswar: Amid heightened expectations and intense speculation of a possible electoral tie-up between the BJD and the BJP in Odisha, the seat-sharing talks are seemingly in a limbo, raising the possibility of both parties moving ahead in their own directions unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sort out the vexed issues at their level.
BJP’s state unit president Mamohan Samal’s statements here on Thursday that BJP alone will form the next government in the state, followed by reactions by certain other leaders like Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and MLAs Pradeep Panigrahi and Prashant Jagadev (who joined the saffron camp recently) have made it apparent that an alliance could now be possible only if Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervenes, said BJP sources.
Samal’s repeated assertions to the media, following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi late on Wednesday night, has cast a long shadow over a possible coalition between the number one and number two parties of the state. However, Samal, obviously under heavy pressure to balance between the aspirations and interests of local leaders and workers and national compulsions, has not clearly ruled out any alliance by stating that a final decision can only be taken by the BJP national president and party’s parliamentary committee. This has not only added to the ongoing political drama in Odisha, but forced many to opine that he is only buying time and resorting to posturing, leaving the door slightly ajar for alliance negotiations. “As much as we know the BJD and the BJP will have a coalition. Samal is only posturing to prevent their leaders from revolting against their party,” senior Congress leader Jayadev Jena told journalists.
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The BJD camp, in turn, has started planning to fight the elections on its own if the BJP ‘backs out’ from the possible coalition, said party sources. “We have lost 10 days speculating about the possibilities. We are prepared for both eventualities. Our leadership certainly understands it very well and we are readying ourselves for the polls,” a senior BJD leader maintained.
A meeting of BJD leaders is scheduled at Naveen Nivas on Thursday afternoon to deliberate upon election-related matters. On Tuesday, the regional outfit requested the saffron party bosses to take a final decision at the earliest.
BJD’s legislator Sambit Routray pooh-poohed Samal’s versions, saying he can only answer why he is repeatedly giving clarifications on the alliance possibility. “Our leaders have already said our party will take any decision in the best interests of Odisha. Our top leadership would decide what needs to be done,” he said. He further mocked at Samal’s claims of the BJP forming the government alone, saying, “Why be miserly with words? Anyone can make any claim. Everyone knows the ground realities.”
