BHUBANESWAR: As the proposed BJD-BJP alliance drags along with no clarity offered from both the sides, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has convened a meeting of his party’s senior leaders at Naveen Niwas on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the saffron party’s second list of candidates released on Wednesday completely omitted Odisha from consideration even as state BJP leaders stayed closeted in a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Sources in both the parties maintained a clear picture on the alliance will emerge on Thursday. While details on what transpired at the meeting of the state BJP leadership with Shah were not available, sources said various aspects of the proposed alliance with the regional outfit were discussed. Discussions were held on what will be the outcome in case BJP enters into an alliance with the BJD or if the party contests the polls alone. A second round of meeting of the state BJP leadership with Shah is reported to have been scheduled late at night.
Sources said as the second list of 72 Lok Sabha candidates released by BJP in the evening did not have any name from Odisha, alliance talks are still in progress and a formal announcement will be made on Thursday.
BJD insiders also said a clear picture on the alliance will emerge only after the meeting of senior leaders convened by the chief minister. A leader said as the dinner of the NDA partners is scheduled for March 14, the meeting at Naveen Niwas will be over by lunch. A formal announcement is expected tomorrow, he said.
The chief minister had called a meeting of senior leaders of the party on March 6, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jajpur fuelling speculation over BJD’s alliance with the BJP. The BJP state leaders were summoned to New Delhi for talks with central leadership of the party the same day. The alliance talks between the two parties has been continuing since.