BJP Odisha Chief Says Party Will Go Solo in LS, Assembly Polls; Ends Rumours on Alliance with BJP

BJP Odisha president Manmohan Samal on Friday announced that the BJP will run independently in both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha. This announcement puts an end to weeks of speculation about a potential pre-election alliance with the ruling BJD led by Naveen Patnaik.

In a post on social media platform X, Manmohan Samal said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will run independently across all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats in Odisha.

“To fulfill the hopes, wishes and aspirations of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, under the visionary leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to make a developed India and developed Odisha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all the 21 seats of the Lok Sabha and all the 147 seats of the Legislative Assembly. Will contest the seats alone,” said the BJP Odisha president.

Samal also expressed gratitude towards BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the party’s support to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the past decade.

“For the last 10 years, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party of Odisha, under the leadership of Shri Naveen Patnaik ji, has been supporting the Government of the Honorable Prime Minister of the Center Shri Narendra Modi ji in many matters of national importance, for this we express our gratitude to him,” he remarked.

Furthermore, the BJP state president highlighted that several welfare schemes of the Modi government have failed to reach the grassroots level in Odisha, depriving the poor people of their rightful benefits.

“Experience has shown that wherever there has been a double engine government across the country, development and poor welfare work has accelerated and the state has progressed in every field. But today many welfare schemes of Modi government are not reaching the ground in Odisha, due to which the poor sisters and brothers of Odisha are not getting their benefits. We have concerns on many issues related to Odisha-identity, Odisha-pride and interest of the people of Odisha,” he added.

During a media conclave on Wednesday, Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned that the BJP party is still considering the alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), with negotiations ongoing. He emphasised that the final decision will be made by the party’s national president, JP Nadda.