BJP Odisha Chief Says Party Will Go Solo, Then Walks Back Remark

Hours after claiming that the BJP will fight the upcoming elections for Lok Sabha and Odisha alone, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal on Thursday said that the party's Parliamentary Party's decision in this regard is final.

Mr Samal's earlier assertion had come amid talks of a pre-poll alliance between the BJD and the BJP.

On his arrival from the national capital earlier in the day after meeting Union Minister Amit Shah, Mr Samal said, "BJP will form the government in the state alone with the blessings and cooperation of people."

Around two hours later, however, he said, "Whatever our national president or parliamentary party will say, that is the final decision. Media shouldn't make a narrative based on my statement."

Mr Samal also deleted his post on X in which he claimed that BJP in Odisha will form government in the state on its own.

Before deleting that post, he told reporters: "The party will fight the elections over the Odisha 'asmita' (pride)."

When repeatedly asked about the alliance with BJD, Mr Samal had said: "Had that been the case, I would not have said that BJP will form government in Odisha."

Meanwhile, the BJD convened a meeting of senior party leaders at Naveen Niwas, the residence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Thursday.

The regional party had earlier met on March 6, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha.

BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra had then acknowledged discussions about a possible alliance with the BJP and said that the party will "prioritise the greater interests of the people of Odisha".

Later, the possibility of alliance between the BJD and the BJP was brightened after Odisha BJP leaders were summoned to the national capital on March 10 evening.

They had several rounds of discussions over three days with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was tasked by the BJP top brass to take the opinion of the party's state leaders.

Mr Samal, along with organising secretary Manas Mohanty, Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and his deputy Lata Usendi, had a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Wednesday night.

Sources said that the state BJP leaders have drawn the attention of the party's top brass on how the BJD snapped ties with the saffron party and withdrew from the NDA ahead of the 2009 general elections following the Kandhamal riot in 2008.

Both the parties had a tie-up for 11 years from 1998 to 2009. They had fought three Lok Sabha elections and two assembly elections till 2009.

Simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly will be held in Odisha.

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