BJP spreading alliance rumour in Odisha, says BJD

BJD national spokesperson Sasmit Patra alleged that some leaders of the BJP in Odisha were spreading rumours about an alliance between the two parties through media

Updated on: Mar 3, 2024, 17:58:03 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Odisha state president Manmohan Samal denied any alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, the latter on Saturday held the saffron party responsible for alliance ‘rumour’ ahead of the twin elections in the state.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patanik (right) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File)

Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, BJD national spokesperson Sasmit Patra alleged that some leaders of the BJP in Odisha were spreading rumours about an alliance between the two parties through media.

“We are unable to understand as to why they (BJP leaders) are spreading such rumours through media. We do not know why they are doing it,” said Patra, claiming that the BJD is on a very strong wicket for the twin elections, while ruling out any possible alliance with the BJP.

Patra claimed that the BJD is poised to register a landslide victory in the upcoming elections and win more than 120 Assembly and over 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

On Friday evening and Saturday, Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal as well as party’s Odisha election in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar said there was no chance of an alliance with the ruling BJD in the state in the upcoming elections.

“We have not discussed anything regarding any alliance in Odisha. I have discussed with party president JP Nadda. He did not say anything about any alliance,” said Tomar, after returning from the BJP’s election management committee meeting in Delhi. “We will fight the Odisha Assembly election alone and win more than 80 seats. Similarly, we will win more than 16 MP seats from Odisha,” Tomar said.

However, people familiar with the matter in the state BJP maintained that the alliance was still a possibility considering that in the list of 195 candidates declared on Saturday, no names from Odisha featured. Things will be clear after PM Modi’s visit to Odisha on March 5, he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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