Bhubaneswar:

Ex-Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal – which helped ex-ally Bharatiya Janata Party pass key bills in the Modi government’s first two terms, when it lacked numbers in the Rajya Sabha – seems to have firmly switched sides now and labelled itself a “strong and vibrant opposition”.

“We will make the centre accountable on all issues. BJD MPs will raise all issues pertaining to the state’s development and the welfare of the people of Odisha. Many rightful demands haven’t been met,” the party quoted Mr Patnaik after a meeting with his nine Rajya Sabha MPs in Bhubaneswar Monday.

“(We will) be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament…”

The BJD’s assertive stance comes not only after providing the BJP outside support on various issues in the past 10 years, but after breakdown in alliance talks in March, just weeks before the elections began.

Had those talks born fruit, the BJD and Mr Modi’s party would have re-allied nearly 15 years after a split that prompted late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj to say Mr Patnaik would “regret” snapping ties.

NDTV Explains | 15 Years After Split, Naveen Patnaik’s BJD Hints At NDA Return

In the past, support from the BJD and ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy – his YSR Congress was ousted by the BJP’s ally, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP – was crucial on several occasions, such as the election of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to the Rajya Sabha in 2009 and 2014.

More recently, the BJD’s support also helped the BJP push through the Delhi services bill, ensured a no-confidence motion against the Modi government flopped, and pushed through laws like Triple Talaq and the J&K Reorganisation Bill.

BJD’s “Rightful Demands” From BJP

The “rightful demands”, the BJD’s statement said, ranged from ‘special category’ status for Odisha to housing and education for the poor, and from establishment of premier medical institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences – “… not satellite units” – to improved national highways.

The party also flagged social and economic issues, including the controversial topic of MSP, or minimum support price, for farmers, which has been a bone of contention between the opposition and the BJP since the violent protests of 2021/22. The BJD also said it will “demand inclusion of 162 communities” in the state’s Scheduled Tribes list, which it said it had been lobbying for “for many years”.

All of this comes after thumping wins by Mr Modi’s party in the May-June Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In the former the BJP routed the BJD by winning 20 of the state’s 21 seats and, in the latter, Mr Patnaik – who lost the Kantabanji seat to the BJP’s Laxman Bag – won only 51 of 147, down from 112 five years ago. The BJP secured 78 – four over majority – to form its first Odisha government.

READ | “Oh, You Defeated Me”: BJD Boss Naveen Patnaik To BJP MLA

The twin defeats left Mr Patnaik firmly on the backfoot in a state he has dominated since 2000; his BJD had won every Assembly poll and over 50 per cent of Lok Sabha seats in each general election.

In fact, the BJD has failed, for the first time, to win even one Lok Sabha seat.

READ | After Heated Campaign, PM, Patnaik Greet Each Other At Swearing-In

The BJD, which had 12 Lok Sabha MPs in 2019, now has only nine in the Rajya Sabha. And that number will be cut in half in 2026, when four Odisha seats – now held by the BJD – fall vacant.

“Will Be Strong Opposition”

Earlier today BJD leader Sasmit Patra said party boss Naveen Patnaik had given “clear instructions to fight for the rights of the state’s people in Parliament”. “No more support to BJP, only opposition. We may go to any extent to protect the interests of Odisha,” he said after Mr Patnaik’s meeting.

READ | Will Be “Strong Opposition” For BJP: Naveen Patnaik’s Party

In the recent election the BJD was not part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which united the opposition to stifle Mr Modi, the BJP, and the party-led National Democratic Alliance.

Mr Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar – who helped found the INDIA group before jumping ship to the NDA after internal rows – met in May last year but the BJD boss remained non-committal and passed off the meeting as one between “old friends and colleagues”.

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New Delhi:

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha has hinted at a potential alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, leaders of the BJD convened for an extensive session at Naveen Niwas, the official residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Simultaneously, counterparts from the BJP, including its state unit chief Manmohan Samal, gathered in the national capital for a parallel meeting, engaging in discussions related to electoral affairs, with a particular focus on the possibility of forging an alliance.

A potential pact between the two parties marks a significant shift in the political dynamics of the state, especially considering the BJD’s departure from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 15 years ago, which had prompted former BJP leader and minister Sushma Swaraj to say that Naveen Patnaik would “regret” snapping ties after an 11-year understanding. 

While no formal announcement has been made, BJD vice president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra confirmed the discussions but stopped short of confirming the formation of an alliance. “Biju Janata Dal will prioritise the greater interests of the people of Odisha. Yes, there were discussions on the issue (alliance),” Mr Mishra told reporters after the meeting at Naveen Niwas.

A press release issued by the BJD stated, “An extensive discussion was held under the leadership of BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with the senior leaders of the party today regarding the strategy of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.”

“It was resolved that since by 2036, Odisha will complete 100 years of its statehood, and BJD and Chief Minister Patnaik have major milestones to be achieved by this time, therefore Biju Janata Dal will do everything towards this in the greater interests of people of Odisha,” the statement added.

On the BJP side, senior leader and MP Jual Oram, after the meeting presided over by BJP president JP Nadda in Delhi, confirmed discussions on a pre-poll alliance with the BJD. However, he added that the final decision rests with the party’s central leadership. “Yes, there were discussions on the alliance among other issues. The party’s central leadership will make the final call,” Mr Oram stated.

The Numbers 

The strategic importance of Odisha, with its 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly seats, is not lost on either party. In the 2019 elections, BJD and BJP secured 12 and eight parliamentary constituencies and 112 and 23 assembly constituencies, respectively. According to sources, in the event of an alliance, the BJP would contest the majority of Lok Sabha seats, while the BJD would focus on assembly seats.

The growing speculation about the alliance gained credence from the recent public praises exchanged between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Patnaik. Both leaders acknowledged each other’s contributions, with the BJD demonstrating support for the Modi government’s agenda in Parliament.

What Happened In 2009 

The BJD-BJP alliance saw success in two assembly elections and three Lok Sabha polls in Odisha. The partnership, forged in February 1998, enjoyed a strong foundation, with both parties successfully contesting Lok Sabha elections in 1998, 1999, and 2004, as well as assembly elections in 2000 and 2004.

Once considered the BJP’s most reliable ally in the NDA, the alliance collapsed in 2009 following failed seat-sharing talks. The breakdown was officially attributed to the BJD’s demand for a reduction in the BJP’s share of assembly seats from 63 to around 40, and parliamentary seats from nine to six. This demand, deemed unreasonable by the BJP leaders, led to the withdrawal of support to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s government, marking the end of an 11-year political marriage. 

The withdrawal of support was termed by BJD as an “act of betrayal”.

The BJD-BJP pact was formed in 1998, orchestrated by senior leaders Bijay Mohapatra and the late Pramod Mahajan.