Veteran BJP Leader Pratap Sarangi Opposes Tie-Up With BJD Amid Alliance Talks In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Amid speculations about Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) forging an alliance for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, veteran saffron leader and former Union Minister Pratap Sarangi on Wednesday strongly opposed any tie-up with the regional outfit.

Speaking to reporters, the BJP MP from Balasore said that the party leaders and workers of Odisha are strongly opposed to the idea of forging any electoral alliance with BJD.

Before leaving for Bihar to participate in BJP’s Sankalp Patra programme, Sarangi said that the state party leaders have expressed their feelings and views against any pre-poll understanding with the Naveen Patnaik-led party.

“We have nothing more to say on alliance. While the national leaders will decide on the issue, we have expressed our views and feelings against any tie up. We have stated that we don’t support any alliance in Odisha,” the senior BJP leader said.

It may be noted here that several state BJP leaders, who had aired their views against proposed alliance with BJD, were summoned to New Delhi by the central leadership.

Apart from Pratap Sarangi, senior BJP leaders like former Union Minister Jual Oram and state party president Manmohan Samal have opposed any move to forge alliance with BJD. They have strongly spoken in favour of BJP going it alone in Odisha in the upcoming polls.

As suspense over possible BJD-BJP alliance continues, it is to be seen how the Central leadership  of the saffron party will resolve the Odisha tie-up deadlock. One needs to wait and see if BJP  Central leadership will follow the same path recommended by Jual Oram, Pratap Sarangi and Manmohan Samal or prescribe a new roadmap for the twin elections in Odisha.