Key Points
New Delhi: With the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) going their separate ways in Odisha, all eyes will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see if he continues his praise of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik next time he goes to the state to campaign...
This led to speculation that an alliance between the BJP and the BJD was imminent...
And now, contrary to popular perception, in about 50 percent of the Lok Sabha seats where both the BJD and the BJP have announced their candidates, the two parties have put up strong candidates against each other laying to rest any notion of a friendly contest...
Despite the tough electoral contests in the offing, former Union minister and prominent Odia politician Srikant Jena who returned to the Congress earlier this month after being expelled in 2019 believes the BJP and the BJD will maintain a strategic alliance...
Post elections, it will be the same story as 2019, with the BJD supporting the BJP in all important issues in Parliament despite not being in alliance, he said.. Support for Patnaik but anger against Pandian, Modi wave ..
