Bhubaneswar : After weeks of anticipation and speculation, the people of Odisha were informed that there would be no alliance between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Nevertheless, the pertinent issues continue to reverberate within Odisha’s political arena.
During an interview with India Today on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah elucidated why his party opted not to form an alliance with Naveen Patnaik-led BJD. “Our party workers ardently believed that in order to safeguard Odia language, culture, and the pride of Odisha, the BJP should contest independently. Thus, we respected their convictions,” Shah stated. He further implored the people of Odisha to entrust the state’s progress to the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. “Wherever PM Modi has secured victory, there has been a significant surge in the growth trajectory,” Shah emphasized.
Following the collapse of negotiations for a potential pact last month, the President of Odisha BJP, Manmohan Samal, underscored that the saffron party diverged from the BJD government on various issues concerning the welfare of Odia populace, including the preservation of ‘Odia Asmita’ and ‘Odia glory’.