BJP will go solo and contest all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in Odisha o

Bhubaneswar22/3/24:: Amid back-and-forth over alliance talks in Odisha, BJP state president Manmohan Samal on Friday confirmed that Bharatiya Janata Party (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 over last 10 years while clearly stating BJP’s differences with the regional party over various issues of interest of the people of the state and its pride.

“We have concerns on many issues related to Odisha identity, Odisha pride, and interest of the people of Odisha. The impoverished people of Odisha are not able to reap the benefits of welfare schemes launched by the Modi government as those are not reaching the grassroots,” he wrote, while possibly suggesting the major impediment in the alliance talks.

Pushing for a double-engine government in Odisha, Samal said that states with BJP government have made significant strides in various areas of development and progress. “We feel that the states that have dual engine governments across the country, make extensive development and accelerate welfare work for poor,” he added.

Earlier speaking to reporters, 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 finalized, it will be made public. Have patience, those with patience eventually win,” he said.