New Delhi: It was after weeks of drama and suspense that the people of Odisha finally got to know there would be no alliance between ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
On Friday, Union Home minister Amit Shah explained during an interview with India Today why his party chose not to ally with Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.
“Our party workers strongly believed that for Odia language, culture, and for pride of Odisha, the BJP should fight separately. So went with their beliefs,” Shah said.
“We urge the Odisha public to give the responsibility of state’s growth to BJP under the PM Modi leadership. Wherever PM Modi has emerged victorious, the growth rate has gone up by a huge margin,” Shah added.
After talks of a deal finally fell through last month, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal had said the saffron party didn’t agree with the BJD government on several issues about the interests of Odia people, like ‘Odia Asmita’ and ‘Odia glory’.
