The BJP will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha alone, party's state unit chief said on Friday. The announcement comes amid speculation of a possible alliance between the BJP and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the polls.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Manmohan Samal said that the party will contest and win all the 21 seats of the Lok Sabha and all the 147 seats of the Legislative Assembly in Odisha.

"To fulfill the hopes, wishes and aspirations of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, under the visionary leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to make a developed India and developed Odisha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all the 21 seats of the Lok Sabha and all the 147 seats of the Legislative Assembly. Will contest the seats alone." Samal said in his tweet in Hindi.

Furthermore, the Odisha BJP chief also claimed that several welfare schemes of Modi government are not reaching the ground in Odisha.

"Many welfare schemes of Modi government are not reaching the ground in Odisha, due to which the poor sisters and brothers of Odisha are not getting their benefits. We have concerns on many issues related to Odisha-identity, Odisha-pride and interest of the people of Odisha," he said.

Notably, BJP and BJD had an alliance for over a decade between 1998 and 2009. Both the parties had fought three Lok Sabha and two assembly elections together till 2009.

Odisha will vote for its 21 Lok Sabha seats and a 147-member assembly, simultaneously, in four phases, beginning May 13.

Currently, the BJP presently has eight Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha and 23 MLAs in the Assembly. Meanwhile, the ruling BJD has 112 MLAs and 12 Lok Sabha MPs in the state.

Source: India Today