Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has convened an emergency meeting of the senior party leaders at his residence Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar on Thursday afternoon amid speculations of the regional party returning to the NDA fold.
BJD senior leaders and the party’s district observers have asked to attend the meeting. The meeting is likely to discuss the logjams in seat-sharing with the BJP.
Meanwhile, on his return from New Delhi after attending a meeting with Union Home Minister last evening, Odisha BJP Chief Manmohan Samal on Thursday hinted at the possibility of an alliance between the BJP and the BJD. Talking to reporters at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) today, Samal said, “The procedure is on and everything is on the right path. We are discussing all aspects.”
Earlier this week, Samal had refuted that there was any discussion on the issue of alliance with the BJD and described all talk on the issue as “a rumour”.
According to reports, the state BJP leadership, which has been camping in New Delhi for the last three days, had a closed-door meeting with Amit Shah on Wednesday evening. Reports said that Shah discussed an acceptable seat-sharing formula with the party leaders from Odisha.
However, neither party has made any formal announcement in this regard yet.
