BJD-BJP coalition talks fail as saffron party announces to contest from all LS, assembly seats
BJD had requested for coalition, but BJP rejected, says Bhubaneswar LS Aparajita Sarangi
By Nalini Sahu
Bhubaneswar, March 22 : The talks between Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a re-alliance ahead of the 2024 elections seem to have collapsed after the saffron party’s state unit president Manmohan Samal on Friday declared that his party would contest from all the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly segments.
Taking to social media X handle, Samal said, “Most of the welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government are not reaching the people at the grassroots. As a result, the poor sisters and brothers are not getting their benefits. We have concerns on many issues related to Odisha-identity, Odisha-pride and interest of the people of Odisha. Hence, we have decided to fight from all the Lok Sabha and assembly seats.”
He further wrote, “To fulfill the hopes, wishes and aspirations of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, the BJP will fight the elections under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and win maximum Lok Sabha and assembly seats and form the next government.”
There was, however, no immediate reaction from the BJD, on the BJP’s unilateral announcement to go it alone to the polls.
The BJD and BJP had entered into a coalition in 1998 which ended in 2009 following dispute over seat-sharing. In the 2014 elections, the BJP performed quite well in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The saffron party won eight of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 23 of the 147 assembly constituencies, elevating itself from third position to the second spot in state’s political landscape.
BJP election-in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar told reporters in New Delhi, the party would now fight all-out in Odisha and remove the 24-year-old BJD out of power.
“Odisha has witnessed an increase in crime against women and children in the past 24 years. The state government has closed its eyes to all the misdeeds. Massive corruption has taken place in different departments and schemes under the very nose of the state administration. We will expose all these misconducts,” said Tomar.
BJP Lok Sabha member from Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi, said, “The BJD had offered to form an alliance but our party leadership rejected it.”
