The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to disclose its stance on a potential alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, according to sources.
Key BJP leaders from the state have engaged in a series of meetings in Delhi over the past three days. While the BJD remains tight-lipped about its strategy, the state BJP leadership, including President Manmohan Samal, election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, and others, have been stationed in the national capital.
State BJP leaders convened a series of meetings at the residence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as per the sources. It is reported that a faction of state BJP leaders expressed opposition to forging an alliance with the BJD. The BJD had severed ties with the saffron party prior to the 2009 general elections, following a riot in Kandhamal the preceding year, according to the sources.
The issue of alliance between the BJD and BJP came for discussion after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Odisha on March 5. The next day, the BJD held a meeting of its senior leaders. Pradhan, the sources said, has been assigned to talk with the Odisha BJP leaders on the issue of the possible alliance with the BJD.
Pradhan will inform top central leaders regarding the views of the Odisha leaders and then a decision is likely to be made by Wednesday noon,” one of the BJP sources said. Meanwhile, the BJD is waiting for the decision of the BJP.