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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today could not form consensus over entering into alliance with smaller parties in Odisha, where it enjoys the third largest vote share after ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJP) and the Congress, as state leaders opposed the proposal.
A visibly upset Chandan Mitra, observer of the party for Odisha unit, said after the core committee meeting, “No decision has been taken yet. We will let you know should something happens.”
In local media, speculation was rife about BJP’s possible pre-poll alliance with a host of small outfits, belonging to non-BJD, non-Congress platform, after Mitra’s arrival in Bhubaneswar last evening. He met the leaders of these smaller parties, which have sprung up in the last few months keeping an eye on the ensuing election, during the day today.
These parties, floated by breakaway BJP leader Kharabela Swain, former BJD poll strategist Pyari Mohan Mohapatra and expelled Congress leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, have already expressed their willingness to join hands with BJP for the upcoming polls.
“There is no harm in discussion. We have conveyed our views, let them (BJP) decide,” said Patnaik, who has recently floated Ama Odisha Party after his ouster from Congress.
Despite the willingness of non-Congress and non-BJD parties for forming an alliance to take advantage of Modi wave, BJP state leadership dithering on the issue. The state leaders of saffron party have already declared to go solo for upcoming state and general elections.
The reason behind BJP’s stasis over formation of the alliance is the proposal of alignment with Odisha Jana Morcha (OJM) party, floated by Mohapatra, who had played a key role in separation of BJD from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition in 2009, when he was the main poll strategist and a confidant of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik.
“We have still not forgotten the piquant experience we had of coalition in Odisha. However, we are also discussing about the strength the party would get after assimilating the strengths of other parties. The process could take some time,” said Suresh Pujari, who took part in the core committee meeting of BJP today.
Recent snap polls and surveys show BJP has been able to increase its voting share in Odisha to nearly 25 per cent, higher than 17 per cent last year. Still, it is way behind BJD and Congress, who command well over 30 per cent vote share in the state.
OJM leader Mohapatra argues that the vote share of BJP would definitely go up if it brings into its fold the votes of dissident BJD and Congress leaders through the alliance.
Party insiders said, though the BJP central leadership is ready to accept Mohapatra’s plea, its state leaders are objecting the move.
“OJM was formed after Mohapatra’s feud with Naveen Patnaik. So it is to be seen whether the party has similar mind-set about the ideology and motto of BJP or not,” said Ashok Sahu, a senior leader of the party in Odisha.
