Lok Sabha elections 2024: Eyeing a pre-poll alliance with the Opposition BJP for the Lok Sabha elections as its possibility still lingers, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has convened a meeting of BJD’s senior leaders on Thursday afternoon, party sources said. The BJD, which held a meeting of its senior leaders, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Odisha on March 5, decided to go for another round of discussions on the matter as there was no news from the BJP, a senior BJD leader said on condition of anonymity.
BJD's stance on alliance with BJP
The BJD, in its March 6 meeting, had resolved for "anything" (including alliance) for the larger interest of the state, he said.
"The proposal for an alliance had come from the BJP, and the BJD leaders discussed it at Naveen Niwas, Patnaik's residence," he said.
A day after the meeting at Naveen Niwas, Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian and party’s organising secretary Pranab Prakash Das had rushed to the national capital to inform the BJP top brass about the party’s stand on the possible alliance. However, the BJD was yet to get any response from the top BJP leaders.
"Thursday's meeting may discuss the changing political situation in the state in wake of the possible alliance," the leader said.
Odisha BJP leaders hold meeting with Amit Shah
At least four senior BJP leaders, including the party's Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal, organising secretary Manas Mohanty, Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and his deputy Lata Usendi, held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Wednesday night, a party source said.
"The meeting started at 10.10 pm on Wednesday night," the BJP source said.
The state leaders of the BJP were called to Delhi on Sunday evening and they have since then been holding discussions at Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan's official residence.
“On Wednesday, they were called for a meeting at Shah's residence,” the source said.
Odisha Governor Raghubar Das had on Monday met Shah in New Delhi.
Though his meeting was termed a "courtesy call", political circles in Odisha were abuzz with speculations as Das, a former CM of Jharkhand, had met Shah after touring all the 30 districts of the state.
Several BJP leaders, including MPs Pratap Sarangi and Jual Oram have expressed reservations over the possible alliance.
(With PTI inputs)
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