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

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.