In the political arena of Bhubaneswar, a significant impetus looms for the BJP in anticipation of the imminent 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Insider sources suggest an imminent pre-poll coalition with the reigning Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha.
This coalition holds strategic weight, aiming to bolster the NDA’s endeavor to surpass the mystical 400-mark in the impending Lok Sabha elections. Simultaneously, the BJD relies on this alliance as a linchpin for retaining governance in Odisha.
The discourse surrounding the BJP-BJD entente in Odisha has reverberated across the nation, particularly gaining momentum following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chandikhol on CM Patnaik’s birthday on March 5.
During the inauguration of governmental initiatives, PM Modi extolled the Odisha CM as a “popular chief minister.” In a reciprocal gesture, CM Patnaik commended the PM’s pivotal role in fostering the “economic stability” of the nation.
The prospect of this imminent pact gained traction post the BJP’s core committee meeting on Wednesday, March 6, where hints surfaced regarding fielding candidates exclusively for 14 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state—a conciliatory gesture towards the ruling party.
Concurrently, both parties conducted parallel meetings on Wednesday. While CM Patnaik presided over a conclave of top BJD leaders at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Party President JP Nadda convened with Odisha Chief Manmohan in Delhi.
Reports suggest that Shah and Nadda delved into the blueprint for the plausible reintegration of Naveen Patnaik’s BJD into the NDA fold—a fold it departed from in 2009.
Following the rendezvous with CM Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, senior party luminary Devi Mishra articulated that deliberations transpired with the party supremo “regarding the 2024 elections, alliance, and the overarching benefits for the people of Odisha.” He emphasized the BJD’s earnest intent to partake in the general elections with utmost sincerity and the paramount interests of the state, asserting that decisions would be made by the CM and party president at the opportune moment.
Conversely, after the meeting in Delhi, Odisha BJP leader Jual Oram disclosed that the party scrutinized “all parameters on each and every seat of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies.”
The BJP and the BJD severed ties in 2009, concluding an 11-year alliance. Since the 2019 general elections, both factions have endeavored to revive their collaborative efforts.