BHUBANESWAR: In the clearest indication yet that the alliance between BJD and BJP in Odisha is very much on track, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s trusted lieutenant and the second in command in the regional party VK Pandian on Tuesday stated the possibility of coming together goes beyond politics and is a mark of statesmanship of two great leaders.
Speaking at a media conclave in New Delhi, Pandian asserted the alliance talks between the two parties is not because of the political consideration of boosting numbers or making an impact on the electoral map. “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik does not need an alliance to come back to power for the sixth term. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not need an alliance to become the PM of the country for the third time. BJD does not need BJP to come to power in Odisha and the BJP may not need BJD to form government at the Centre,” he said.
“There is nothing political in the alliance talks. The two great leaders who share a great friendship want to come together for a greater cause. They see something beyond politics which is a rare mark of statesmanship,” the bureaucrat-turned-politician said.
However, on the present status of the talks between the parties, Pandian said if anything happens everybody will come to know about it.
Referring to the undiminished popularity of the chief minister, Pandian said the people of Odisha have great faith in him. “They see him as a person who wants to change and transform Odisha. The chief minister has brought transformation in public institutions like schools and hospitals as 70 per cent of people depend of these. He wants to empower common people to make them able to dream for their children,” Pandian said.
The chairman of 5T initiatives in Odisha, who is in full charge of the BJD organisation and spoken of as a potential successor of Naveen, also addressed the issue saying he had succeeded in imbibing the principles, honesty, sincerity and service to the people from the chief minister. “The chief minister has himself said that the people of Odisha will decide his successor... and it will be rocking,” Pandian said.
All eyes on PM’s call on alliance, CEC meet today
BHUBANESWAR: With everyone waiting anxiously for the return of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the national capital from his south India election campaign tour to take a final call on the issue of forging an alliance with the BJD, the central core committee of the BJP met at the party headquarters in New Delhi for a second round on Tuesday to complete the unfinished agenda of selection of potential candidates for some states including Odisha.
Odisha was among the eight states taken up for discussion in the committee on Monday. State BJP president Manmohan Samal told reporters, the meeting that ran late into the night mostly discussed about election management in the state. There will be extensive discussion on other issues of Odisha in the second round, he said.
“There is little room for doubt about BJP-BJD alliance getting through after the interview of BJD leader and 5T chairman VK Pandian at a media conclave in Delhi. An elaborate discussion on Odisha means it is about deciding the contours of the alliance and sharing of seats. The prime minister will only give his stamp of approval,” said a senior leader of the party here.
In all possibility, the central core committee will be working out the number of seats the BJP may demand in case an alliance is stitched up with BJD and how to accommodate the large number of aspirants. “If BJP-BJD alliance fructifies and number of seats of each partner is decided, it will not take much time to prepare a final list with little adjustment of candidates from here and there,” the sources said.
There have been speculations that the party may not repeat some of the sitting MLAs and MPs as their performance reports are not impressive. Selection of candidates will be mostly done on the basis of the survey conducted by the party. The central election committee of the BJP is expected to meet on Wednesday after the return of the prime minister. The prime minister came back to Delhi on Tuesday evening and was in a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and national president JP Nadda till last reports came in.