Bhubaneswar: After senior party leaders’ claim of going it solo in the upcoming elections in Odisha, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state election in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar on Saturday firmly ruled out any pre-poll alliance with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state.
Tomar’s statement came shortly after Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal made it clear that the saffron party will not forge any pre-poll alliance with BJD for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.
Tomar, who attended BJP’s election management committee meeting held in New Delhi, told reporters that there has been no discussion in the party about any form of electoral alliance in Odisha.
Stating that he held discussion on various poll issues with party president J P Nadda, he said there was no deliberation about any alliance in Odisha.
The senior BJP leader asserted that the saffron party will fight Odisha Assembly election alone and win more than 80 of the 147 seats. Similarly, BJP will win more than 16 Lok Sabha seats from Odisha where there are 21 parliamentary constituencies, Tomar claimed.
Asked about speculations on possible BJP-BJD alliance, Tomar claimed that such rumours are being floated by BJD as BJP has never said anything about alliance with the regional party.
Earlier, Manmohan Samal had told mediapersons that the party will not enter into any alliance in the state. Samal also exuded confidence that the saffron party will win all 21 Lok Sabha seats and will also form government in Odisha.
Rubbishing the alliance speculation, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said the ruling party will win at least 120 Assembly seats and 17 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha in 2024 polls. “Our leader Naveen Patnaik will take oath as the Chief Minister of Odisha for the sixth straight term. We do not know why the BJP leaders are spreading rumours regarding an alliance with the BJD ahead of the twin polls,” he added.
