The collapse of alliance talks between the BJP and the BJD has charged up the cadres, with celebrations breaking out at district offices of both parties.
As the news of the negotiations falling through trickled in on Friday, BJP workers erupted in joy, bursting crackers and dancing in jubilation at the state party office and district units. Similar scenes were witnessed at the BJD district units.
Enthused by the development, the leaders of both the parties called media conferences and announced their vision for an empowered Odisha.
Both BJP and BJD cadres had been sulking since the day talks on a pre-poll alliance began in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s March 5 visit to Odisha during which he referred to Naveen Patnaik as a “popular” chief minister.
The bonhomie between Modi and Naveen at the Sambalpur meeting surprised everyone. Within 24 hours of Modi’s visit, BJP leaders were summoned to Delhi and BJD leaders went into a huddle at Naveen Niwas.
Sources said top state BJP leaders had made clear their resentment among the party cadres over the possibility of an alliance that they had been opposing for the last 15 years. Similar sentiments prevailed in the BJD camp too.
State BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra told The Telegraph: “The alliance would have been disastrous for us. How could we convince the people that we are allying with the party with whom we have been fighting for the last 15 years? The failure of talks is a blessing in disguise. Now we can fight in all the seats and choose our candidates. The candidate list may be announced any moment.”
The BJD and BJP offices that have been wearing a forlorn look are bustling with activity now.
A senior BJD leader said: “This kind of atmosphere had never been seen earlier. Now the atmosphere has been charged up. The party will win more than 120 seats under the leadership of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Naveen is going to be the chief minister for the sixth time.”
Though a sense of frustration had seeped in among the top brass of both the parties following the failure of talks, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw got lucky.
“It was a part of the deal between the BJD and the BJP that the former would support Vaishnaw’s candidature to the Rajya Sabha. The talks failed, creating a sense of unease at the higher level but Vaishnaw turned out to be lucky and went to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the BJD for the second consecutive time,” a BJD leader said.