Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party in Odisha, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition party, have both hinted at the possibility of forming a pre-poll coalition in advance of the impending elections for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly in 2024.
The leaders of the BJD held a lengthy meeting at Naveen Niwas, which is the mansion of the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. At the same time, the leaders of the BJP attended a similar session in the national capital, where they discussed election-related concerns, including the possibility of allying.
“Discussions On” is what BJD says.
Debi Prasad Mishra, the Vice President of the BJD and a Member of the Legislative Assembly, confirmed that some negotiations had taken place over the possibility of allying with the BJP. However, she refrained from formally acknowledging the creation of such an alliance. During an interview with reporters, Mishra stated, “The Biju Janata Dal will give priority to the greater interests of the people of Odisha.” There were indeed conversations about the matter (the partnership).
“An extensive discussion was held today under the leadership of BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik with the senior leaders of the party regarding the strategy of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections,” according to a press release that was issued by Mishra and Arun Kumar Sahoo, who is the senior general secretary of the BJD.
BJP Leader Jual Oram Expresses Appreciation for Conversations
Following a meeting in Delhi that was presided over by the head of the BJP, JP Nadda, prominent BJP leader and member of parliament Jual Oram admitted to having negotiations with the BJD regarding a pre-election alliance. On the other hand, he made it clear that the central leadership of the party would be the one to make the ultimate decision about the topic.
“Yes, among other things, there were conversations about the alliance,” the speaker said. According to Oram, who was personally opposed to the agreement, the ultimate decision would be made by the central leadership of the party.
Two sides of the same coin: the jab given to Congress
While the conjecture was going on, the Congress party on March 7 referred to the BJD in Odisha and the BJP as “two sides of the same coin.” They also stated that the disagreement between the two parties is nothing more than “shadowboxing.”
Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary in charge of communications for the Congress party, made the following statement: “We have always been saying that the BJD and the BJP are two sides of the same coin.” In Parliament, the BJD has consistently shown support for the BJP, and any opposition that the two parties have shown to one another in the state is little more than shadowboxing. The cat is starting to come out of its hiding place!
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had previously refuted media reports that suggested the formation of a possible pre-election coalition on February 29. BJD national spokesperson Sasmit Patra and BJP's Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar referred to the stories as rumors.
Even though there has been no official statement on the alliance, there has been a great deal of talk around it ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state on March 5th. They gained momentum after Modi, while delivering a speech in Odisha, blasted the Congress and INDIA alliance, but kept silent in the Odisha government that was led by Naveen Patnaik.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi began a series of development projects in the Jajpur district of Odisha, which collectively amounted to more than ₹19,600 crore. Additionally, Chief Minister Patnaik, as well as Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Bishweswar Tudu, were present at the festivities.