Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal Summoned To Delhi Again?

Bhubaneswar: Amid the lingering suspense over alliance with BJD, Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal is likely to dash for Delhi again on Thursday to attend a meeting of party’s top brass later in the evening.

He had been hogging headlines since his return from the national capital after several rounds of discussions with senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah over 3 days, this morning. His statement that the saffron party will go solo in the upcoming polls and form the government in Odisha created a flutter as many took it full stop to the alliance talks between BJP and BJD. However, he later deleted a tweet on it and also softened his stance during his next interaction with reporters as he urged them to refrain from creating narratives based his statements. “….whatever our national president or parliamentary party will say, that’s the final decision. We will abide by it,” he added.

Also Read: ‘Speculation Confusing BJP Workers’: Manmohan Samal Softens Rhetoric Over Pact With BJD In Odisha

Though Samal did not clearly rule out the electoral tie-up, he forced many to opine that he is only buying time and resorting to posturing, leaving the door slightly ajar for alliance negotiations.

His reported journey back to Delhi has come amid the ongoing meeting of senior BJD leaders at Naveen Niwas, the residence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Also Read: BJP, BJD Toughen Stand As Odisha ‘Alliance’ On The Rocks: All Eyes On PM Narendra Modi

Which way the alliance talks will go is anybody’s guess. While BJD national spokesperson Santrupt Misra earlier said that the party leadership will inform media on the alliance with BJP whenever the time is appropriate, sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik may have to sort out the vexed issues at their level.

Also Read: BJD, BJP ‘Alliance’ In A Limbo In Odisha; Know The Reasons