Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied any possible alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the regional party on Saturday termed the talk on tie-up a rumour.
“The possible alliance is a rumour being spread by a section of BJP leaders through media. We don’t know why BJP leaders are spreading the rumour,” said BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra addressing a press conference here.
“The BJD is in a comfortable position due to various welfare programmes and transformation being carried out under 5T (teamwork, transparency, technology, time, and transformation) initiatives,” said Mr. Patra.
He exuded confidence that the BJD would win 120 Assembly seats (of the total 147) and 17 Lok Sabha seats (out of 21) in the forthcoming simultaneous polls in the State.
“The BJP is welcoming people who were expelled for anti-people activities and who don’t see their future in the BJD. The BJP does not have enough candidates to field in all the Assembly seats and Lok Sabha constituencies,” he said.
On his return from New Delhi on Friday evening, BJP State president Manmohan Samal dismissed the possibility of any alliance with the BJD. “We will fight the elections alone,” Mr. Samal said.
On Saturday, he further clarified: “During my stay in New Delhi, I had met Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence and discussed the political situation concerning Odisha. The BJP will contest the elections alone in 147 Assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Confident of majority
“Our party will secure majority in Odisha and form the government in the State, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be made the PM for the third time,” he said.
There was strong speculation about a possible alliance between the two parties for the forthcoming elections. Mr. Modi’s scheduled public meeting at Chandikhol on March 5 had added fodder to the speculation. The meeting coincided with the BJD’s massive celebrations on the occasion of the 108th birth anniversary of party veteran Biju Patnaik on March 5.
