Bhubaneswar: Amid suspense over alliance talks in Odisha, BJP state president Manmohan Samal on Friday reiterated that BJP will go solo and contest all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of 4.5 crore Odias.
Taking to his X handle, Samal thanked the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for extending issue-based support to the Modi government at the Centre while clearly stating BJP’s differences with the regional party pertaining to the interest of the people of the state and its pride. “People of Odisha are not getting the benefits of welfare schemes launched by the Modi government as those are not reaching the grassroots,” he wrote.
Pushing for a double-engine government in Odisha, Samal added that states with BJP government have seen an acceleration in development and welfare work and are making progress in all areas.
Earlier speaking to reports, he said that the sky is clearing up and slowly things too will become certain. “Home Minister Amit Shah has clearly stated everything. There is no room for any further discussion on it. Once the decision is finalised, it will be made public. Have patience, those with patience eventually win,” he said.
On March 20, Shah had again fuelled speculation over possible alliance of his party with BJD in Odisha by saying that no decision has been taken yet. “The BJP national president will take a decision on it,” Shah said replying to a question at Rising Bharat Summit, organised by TV channel News18, in New Delhi.
He, however, asserted that the BJP will increase its seats in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha in Odisha irrespective of alliance or not. “It is certain that we will increase our strength in Odisha. The affection that the people of Odisha have for Modiji is accepted by our workers with warmth and humility,” he said.