Bhubaneswar, March 9: The speculation surrounding the alliance between the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to swirl in the political circles of Odisha.
It is said that the recent talks between the two parties in New Delhi have ended inconclusively, primarily due to disagreements over seat-sharing ratio.
Also Read: No discussion on alliance, BJP to go solo: Manmohan
Initially, both parties were on board with the idea of a pre-poll alliance. However, when it came to distributing seats, tensions arose. The BJD aimed to contest over 100 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, a proposition that the BJP deemed unacceptable. Conversely, the BJP sought 14 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, a demand promptly rejected by the BJD.
On the other hand, BJP state president Manmohan Samal refuted any alliance talks with the BJD during his recent visit to Delhi. He emphasized that the BJP would go to polls alone, focusing on its own strength for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state.
In the 2019 general elections, the BJD secured 12 Assembly seats, while the BJP won eight in Odisha.
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Interestingly, there are reports that PM Narendra Modi and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik will hold final talks after a couple of days. Their decision will play a crucial role in determining the fate of the alliance.
Notably, the BJD and BJP had a successful alliance of 11 years from 1998 to 2009, contesting three Lok Sabha and two assembly elections together.
