A significant development is brewing in Odisha’s political arena. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has hinted at a potential alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This follows the impending Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
This comes after a meeting held on Wednesday at Naveen Niwas, the official residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, where BJD leaders deliberated on their future strategy.
BJD leader V K Pandian, a former IAS officer considered Chief Minister Patnaik’s confidant, also previously held multiple rounds of discussions with the BJP central leaders.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi, BJP leaders, including state unit chief Manmohan Samal, met on Wednesday. Home Minister Amit Shah and Party President JP Nadda attended the core committee meeting.
It was 15 years ago, Biju Janata Dal walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Former BJP leader and minister Sushma Swaraj had said then that Naveen Patnaik would “regret” severing ties after an 11-year understanding.
The indication is that BJD may formally return to the NDA fold. Following yesterday’s meeting, a press release was issued. The last line intensified speculations. The BJD said the party focuses “on the greater interests of the people and the development of Odisha.” A formal announcement is still awaited.
Reports say that the BJD has suggested it may contest 13 Lok Sabha seats and give eight seats to the BJP. In return, the BJP is pushing for nine Lok Sabha seats. The ruling BJD wants to contest 111 out of the 147 seats for the Assembly polls.
Currently, the BJP holds eight Lok Sabha seats and 23 assembly seats in the state, while the BJD has 12 MPs and 112 MLAs. Senior BJP leader and MP Jual Oram confirmed discussions on a pre-poll alliance with the BJD. He emphasised that the party’s central leadership would make the final call.
A return of the BJD would mark the comeback of another NDA ally after Nitish Kumar’s JDU dumped the opposition in January this year.
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The BJD-BJP alliance succeeded in two assembly elections and three Lok Sabha polls in Odisha before it collapsed in 2009 due to failed seat-sharing talks.
The breakdown was attributed to the BJD’s demand for a reduction in the BJP’s share of seats, marking the end of an 11-year political partnership.
But now, as the Prime Minister aims for a third consecutive term, BJD’s Naveen Patnaik aims to solidify his position. And become the longest-serving Chief Minister in the nation’s history. A formal alliance is expected to provide massive impetus to both sides.
For context, the BJD-BJP alliance was first forged in 1998. The two parties secured victory in 16 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats, a tally that increased to 19 in 1999. In 2004, despite the NDA government losing the general elections, the two parties won 18 seats.
However, the 2008 anti-Christian riots in Odisha strained the relationship between the BJD and BJP, leading to their separation in the 2009 elections.
Without a formal alliance, the BJP’s performance suffered in subsequent elections, while the BJD continued to dominate. In 2019, the BJP’s fortunes won eight seats, while the BJD’s tally decreased to 12.
But it’s important to note that while the alliance was formally over in 2009, the two sides never really fell apart. In Rajya Sabha, the BJD consistently voted for the BJP when the latter was short of a majority to pass bills. While on paper, the BJD didn’t side with either side, Naveen Patnaik’s party was always seen as slightly closer to the BJP than the Congress.
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