FIFTEEN YEARS after BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik broke off a decade-long alliance with the BJP, his party is all set to rejoin the NDA alliance headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said Wednesday.
The sources said talks were in an advanced stage and a formal announcement is expected soon.
Chief Minister Patnaik held discussions with senior BJD leaders at his residence in Bhubaneswar Wednesday evening to discuss the aspects of the alliance. The BJP leadership also held a meeting with party leaders from Odisha in New Delhi over the possible tie-up.
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Jual Oram, who attended the meeting in New Delhi, said they have apprised the central leadership of the political scenario in all 147 Assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.
“Since the BJP is a political party, the final decision lies with the central leadership. Whatever decision the central leadership takes, it will be binding for all. There were discussions about the alliance in the Delhi meet,” Oram told reporters in Delhi.
After the meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said in a statement: “An extensive discussion was held under the leadership of BJD president… regarding the strategy of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. In the discussions it was resolved that since by 2036 Odisha will complete 100 years of statehood and BJD and Honble CM have major milestones to be achieved by this time, the Biju Janata Dal will do everything towards this in the greater interests of people of Odisha and the state.”
Insiders in both BJP and BJD said seat-sharing has also been finalised. Sources said the BJP is likely to fight more seats in Lok Sabha while in the Assembly polls, the BJD would fight over 100 of the total 147 seats.
The speculation of the reunion of the two erstwhile allies gathered momentum after the Patnaik-led party supported Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the recent Rajya Sabha elections as the BJP lacked the numbers to push his candidature.
“The alliance will be a win-win situation for both parties as the BJP is more concerned about forming the government at the Centre with a record margin. Since BJD is seeking a sixth straight term in Odisha and BJP is surging ahead as the main Opposition party, the tie-up will ensure a smooth victory,” said a senior BJD leader. “Returning to the NDA fold won’t be an ideological issue for the BJD as the party started its journey fighting against the Congress in Odisha by forging alliance with BJP.”
The development comes a day after the Prime Minister’s visit to Odisha, where he lauded Patnaik as the “Lokpriya (popular)” Chief Minister and indicated that Odisha will have a significant role in achieving the NDA’s target of 400-seat haul in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. At the fuction, Patnaik lauded Modi for “setting a new direction for India” and for taking India on an accelerated drive to make the country an economic powerhouse.
Incidentally, Patnaik had announced his decision to sever ties with the NDA on March 7, 2009.
The BJD and BJP were in alliance for around 11 years from 1998 to 2009. The two parties fought Assembly polls together in Odisha for the first time in 2000. However, the BJD pulled the plug on the alliance just ahead of the 2009 polls as their ties soured after the August 2008 communal riots in the Kandhamal district.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
