Bhubaneswar, March, 7: Fifteen years after their separation, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Odisha’s major two political parties, are set to collaborate against the weakened Congress party in the upcoming elections for the state’s 147 Assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats.
Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to arrive in Odisha on March 12 to formally announce the alliance with the regional party, said sources.
This potential alliance would formally reunite the BJD with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a coalition it was originally part of when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee established it in May 1998. Recently, the BJD supported Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his successful bid for a Rajya Sabha seat, further fueling speculation about this coalition.
The discussions between the two parties have gained momentum, and senior leaders from both sides have been in deliberations. While the BJD leaders met at Naveen Niwas, the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJP leaders held discussions at the party headquarters in Delhi. The BJD’s focus is on achieving significant milestones for Odisha by 2036, the year when the state will complete 100 years of its statehood. Meanwhile, the BJP’s central leadership will make the final decision on whether to forge an alliance or contest the elections independently.
This potential alliance could significantly impact the political scenario in Odisha, and both parties are closely watching the developments as the election season approaches.
