Bhubaneswar: Although there has been no formal announcement regarding a pre-poll alliance between BJD and BJP in Odisha, top leaders from both parties have hinted at a mutual tie-up ahead of the upcoming general elections.
While BJD leaders held a marathon meeting at Naveen Niwas — the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik — in Bhubaneswar Wednesday, BJP leaders gathered in the national capital for a crucial meeting over election matters pertaining to the state including a potential alliance with BJD.
After over three hours of extensive discussion, BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra acknowledged a possible alliance but did not explicitly confirm it. Meanwhile, after the BJP meeting presided by BJP president JP Nadda and attended by senior party leaders, Jual Oram admitted that discussions on a pre-poll alliance with the BJD were held even though the final decision was not revealed.
BJD-BJP Alliance
The alliance between BJD and BJP, however, is nothing new. It is widely known that BJP stalwarts like Vajpayee, Advani and Pramod Mahajan had big roles to play in the formation of BJD in December 1997 following the demise of Biju Patnaik – father of incumbent Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
It was only natural that the parties joined hands to combat then dominant Congress. The alliance, forged in February 1998, went strong with both parties successfully contesting Lok Sabha elections in 1998, 1999, and 2004 apart from Assembly elections in 2000 and 2004. However, BJD led by Naveen Patnaik parted ways with the BJP ahead of 2009 polls.
What happened in Kandhamal 17 years ago?
At least three persons were killed and over 100 churches and Christian institutions, including convents and hostels, 700 houses and other structures were burnt in riots between Sangh Parivar-supported units and Christians which devastated Kandhamal district in December 2007.
Similarly, 39 people were killed, over 395 churches were vandalised, 600 villages were ransacked; over 5,600 houses were looted, and over 54,000 people were left homeless in the August 2008 riots in Khandhamal district which allegedly set off after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati and four of his associates by masked assailants. Though police blamed Maoists for his murder, locals in Kandhamal district believed Christian tribals behind the killing, triggering the riots.
Saraswati, reportedly, established schools and ashrams and focused on reconversion of people – who were converted to Christianity, as per VHP.
The Kandhamal violence infused bad blood between the BJD and the saffron party.
The split in 2009
In 2009, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD offered only six Lok Sabha seats to the BJP as compared to nine seats in the previous election. The BJD further curtailed assembly seats to 40 from 63 for BJP. This pre-poll arrangement was rejected by the saffron party.
Against the backdrop of mistrust over the Kandhamal riots, the BJD decided to part ways with the BJP-led NDA in 2009 and went solo in the polls.
Naveen-Modi relations and path to reconciliation
While Naveen often repeated an “equidistant stance” from both Congress and BJP, his party bailed out the ruling alliances governing Centre in crucial matters following 2009 polls. This, however, came to an end after 2019 victory of Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, when his “Central Negligence” card took a back seat. The personal rapport between Naveen Patnaik and Prime Miniter Narendra Modi is believed to be a primary reason behind this.
While often-aggressive Modi preferred to go silent on Naveen and praised him in political rallies, Naveen was seen rating Modi’s rule a near-perfect 8 out of 10.
Even after leaving NDA, the BJD continued to support the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in Parliament on various issues including the abrogation of Article 370, GST, and Triple Talaq among others.
Naveen Patnaik also supported NDA candidates in the presidential and vice-presidential polls in 2012, 2017 and 2022. Besides, Naveen twice extended support for the election of BJP’s Ashwini Vaishnaw to Rajya Sabha in 2019 and 2024.
Given the past and the present, a fresh alliance between the former allies doesn’t appear all that surprising.
PNN & Agencies
