Bhubaneswar, March 11: The ongoing suspense surrounding an alliance between the BJD and BJP has plunged aspirants of the ruling party ticket aspirants, particularly for Assembly seats, into prolonged agony. Many sitting MLAs fear they won’t be renominated, adding to the uncertainty.
Several MLAs, who had been working hard in their constituencies for the past few months, were initially confident about securing a ticket. However, the current uncertainty has prompted them to return to the state capital, closely monitoring the unfolding situation. Some are even contemplating alternative seats within the party if their chances are jeopardized due to the alliance.
Senior leaders and district presidents have indicated that finalizing seat sharing will likely to take at least a week if the alliance comes to fruition. Once the alliance is announced, the process of allocating individual seats will commence, which itself will require another week.
Notably, top BJD leaders are expected to attend the NDA dinner party next week, and the NDA meeting has been postponed to a later date. Speculation abounds in party circles: Will Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik visit New Delhi, or will Union Home Minister Amit Shah make his way to Odisha for a formal announcement once the seat-sharing exercise concludes?
While BJD’s general secretary (organisation), Pranab Prakash Das, was initially scheduled to travel to New Delhi in the evening, the visit has been deferred. BJD has already communicated its desired number of Assembly and Lok Sabha seats, and now the ball is in the BJP’s court.
