By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: The much awaited reunion of BJD and BJP in the NDA will take place in next 48 hours if everything goes well right from here. Despite stiff opposition from BJP’s State unit, Central leadership went ahead with its decision and decided to strike a pre-poll alliance with Naveen Patnaik to boost NDA’s strength before Battle 2024.
Senior Journalist Rajdeep Saradesai in a late night x post, has also mentioned about the deal. While another senior Journalist, Ruben Banerjee argued that both Naveen Patnaik and VK Pandian essentially seeking 2 to 3 years guarantee to rule Odisha , for which it is pushing for an alliance with BJP before polls. Banerjee also apprehensive about Patnaik’s 6 terms in Assembly smoothly contending that the BJD Supremo gradually losing his popularity among masses.
As per the deal struck between BJD’s Naveen Patnaik and BJP central leadership amid protest from Saffron Party’s State unit, the Regional party is being agreed to fight in 8 Lok Sabha seats while allowing the rest 13 of the total 21 seats in Odisha, to the BJP.
In 147 members’ house in Odisha Assembly, BJP will fight in 49 seats while BJD will fight in 98 seats. BJP’s move was to strengthen NDA before polls and reached at 400+ mark by striking pre-poll alliance with former NDA partners like BJD.
BJP State unit and section of RSS people opposed to BJD-BJP alliance but central leadership went ahead for alliance considering Naveen Patnaik as a sober alliance partner, who refrained from hard bargaining which was dissimilar to Nitish Kumar in Bihar or Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.
Patnaik on the other hand, thinks, BJD’s support may help the State to get more attention from Central Government and it will fulfil its goal set for 2036, when Odisha completes its 100 years of formation.
