Odisha Rajya Sabha Polls: Ashwini Vaishnaw Renomination Fuels BJD-BJP Bonhomie Talk

Bhubaneswar: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw renomination for Rajya Sabha from Odisha has not only put an end to the suspense over the third candidate but also set tongues wagging about the alleged bonhomie between the ruling BJD and BJP.

Soon after BJP renominated Vaishnaw, the BJD on Wednesday issued a statement, announcing its support to his candidature for the “larger interest of railways and telecom development in the state”. Debashish Samantray and Subhasish Kuntia of BJD have already filed their nomination papers for the other two seats from the state.

The BJD has the required strength to win all three vacant RS seats, but BJP would need its support with only 22 MLAs in Odisha Assembly.

Also Read: Odisha To See Repeat Of 2019 As BJP Names Ashwini Vaishnaw As Its Rajya Sabha Candidate

This development has added grist to the growing speculation of BJD-BJP bonhomie with the twin elections barely months away.

Taking to his X handle, Congress Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar wrote: “The ‘Tactical Larger plan’ of the two erstwhile ‘married alliance’ is on the move! ‘BJD always backed BJP’ Now the Odias understand why CBI- ED never conducted a raid on the CM and his close aide Mr Pandian even though the state witnessed ‘Massive Scams’”.

During Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had made scathing attacks on both BJD and the BJP, accusing them of being hand-in-glove. “We have seen this happening in Parliament. Both the parties are in a partnership in Odisha. They are looting the lands of tribals and farmers and handing them to industrialists,” remarked the Congress MP.

In January, the Odisha Congress had organised a mock marriage between the ruling BJD and the BJP, alleging their intrinsic support for each other despite parting ways years ago, at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar. This satirical marriage followed a similar event in Telangana before the assembly elections last year.

Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal, on the hand, asserted that there will be no alliance between BJP and BJD in the upcoming polls. “In politics, nobody will refuse any support. It will be appropriate to ask BJD supremo about their decision to support a BJP candidate. Without ED and CBI, we have formed governments in 3 states. Now, we will form government in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The people of Odisha want double-engine government under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership,” he told reporters.

Despite it claims of maintaining “equidistance” from the BJP as well as Congress, the BJD has almost always supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government in Parliament over crucial issues, including scrapping of Article 370, Triple Talaq and the passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill. It also backed the contentious Delhi Services Bill in Parliament even as several Opposition leaders termed it unconstitutional.

During his visit to Sambalpur earlier this month, PM Modi too had addressed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as friend and also refrained from targeting the BJD in his public address. Naveen reciprocated by praising Modi for making India an economic powerhouse.