BJP Rejected BJD’s Request For Pre-Poll Alliance In Odisha: Aparajita Sarangi

Bhubaneswar: Hours after both BJP and BJP made it clear there will be no alliance for the upcoming twin elections in Odisha, the saffron party’s MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday resorted to political one-upmanship by stating that her party rejected the regional outfit’s offer for a pre-poll pact.

“The tweet of our state president has made it amply clear that the BJP will fight all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats alone in the coming simultaneous polls. I think this is what all BJP workers and people of Odisha wanted…. the request for an alliance from BJD was rejected by us,” she said in an interaction reporters.

Earlier in the day, the Bhubaneswar MP shared the post of state BJP president Manmohan Samal, confirming the same, and wrote: “Excellent. Immensely Grateful.”

A senior BJP leader familiar with the developments in Odisha said the final call was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top leadership, “after assessing the ground realities”.

The BJD is yet to react to Aparajita’s statement.

There had been speculation that the BJD bosses were insistent on keeping the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat in case of an alliance ostensibly to prevent Aparajita from contesting the parliamentary elections. The IAS officer-turned-politician has been a vocal critic of the BJD dispensation, having raised alleged land and mining scams from time to time, while criticising the governance system in Odisha.

Odisha will vote for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in four phases – May 13 (Monday), May 20 (Monday), May 25 (Saturday) and June 1 (Saturday). Counting on votes will take place on June 3.