Breakdown of BJD, BJP talks cheer LS aspirants

The breakdown of the BJD-BJP coalition talks has brought cheers to the party grassroots and ticket aspirants respectively, though it has perceivably caused some kind of inconveniences to a few powerbrokers on both sides.

Had there been a tie-up between the regional outfit Biju Janata Dal headed by five-time chief minister Naveen Patnaik and the saffron party, around 150 ticket aspirants on both sides would have been deprived of the opportunities to fight Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Though both parties held parleys for over two weeks to give a shape to the much contemplated coalition concept ostensibly to keep the Congress away, none of them proffered any reason as to why they parted ways. Sources in both parties said the two could not reach a consensus on the seat-sharing issue.

The BJD, which won 115 of the 147 Assembly seats (including three in by-elections) and 12 of 21 Lok Sabha berths in the 2019 elections, did not budge from its demand to contest from at least 100 Assembly and eight Lok Sabha constituencies. Besides, it was also bent on not allowing the BJP lawmakers to be inducted in the state council of ministers post the Assembly polls which will be held simultaneously with the general elections, the sources added.

“It is a big relief for us. We have solid a vote bank base which will enable us to win at least three-fourth Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. I narrowly lost to my BJP rival by a margin of 1433 votes in the 2019 elections. Had there been seat-sharing arrangements this time, my seat would have been allotted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, though I have worked hard since 2019,” said a BJD candidate from Mayurbhanj.