BJD Hints It May Return to NDA Fold in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After 15 years of estrangement, the BJP and Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) hinted at the possibility of rekindling their former alliance, setting aside years of political rivalry.

In Bhubaneswar, 18 BJD leaders convened at the residence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for a crucial meeting in the evening.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, senior BJP leaders, chaired by party president J.P. Nadda, deliberated to determine the contours of a potential coalition.

Addressing the media following the meeting, senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra highlighted Odisha’s progress under Chief Minister Patnaik’s leadership. He stated, “We are committed to advancing the state’s development further and will take steps that serve its best interests.”

In Delhi, Sundargarh MP and senior BJP leader Jual Oram disclosed that discussions centered on the party’s strategy for Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats, including the possibility of seat-sharing with the BJD. However, he reiterated the Odisha unit’s readiness to contest all seats while acknowledging that final decisions would align with the directives of the central leadership.

This prospective alliance is not uncharted territory for both parties. They had previously joined forces ahead of the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, contesting 12 and 8 seats respectively out of Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha seats. Their collaboration extended to the 2000 and 2004 Assembly elections, culminating in a coalition government that lasted until 2009.

In 2009, the alliance dissolved, with the BJD severing ties with the BJP, citing ideological differences and labelling it as “communal.”