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Biju Janata Dal, BJP differences may help Congress

The serious differences over seat adjustments between the newly formed Biju Janta Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Orissa continue to remain unresolved. This, in fact, may mar the two parties's main purpose of defeating the Congress in the ensuing general election. In fact, dilly-dallying in finalising the seat-sharing arrangement has given rise to the impression that their poll pact may not materialise at the last moment.

Even after several rounds of talks in Bhubaneswar as well as in Delhi with the BJP's central leaders, the BJD has failed to persuade them to concede more seats. "We are trying our best to reach an agreement but the BJP state leaders's reluctance to share more seats with the BJD has become a bone of contention," said a senior BJD leader who is playing an important role in negotiating with the BJP.

Meanwhile, the BJD leadership hopes that things will take a final shape within four days. According to sources in the BJD, its president Navin Patnaik along with a few senior leaders are likely to announce the seat-sharing deal between the two parties, at New Delhi tomorrow after a round of final talks with the BJP leaders.

Irked by the BJD leaders's attitude, the state BJP leaders have been requesting their central leadership not to give in to the BJD since it may affect their base in the state. "We are better placed than the BJD in all respects, and the lotus (the BJP's symbol) is all around," a BJP leader said. "Euphoria is clearly on the BJP's side, and we will win, alliance or not."

Interestingly, at a time when the ruling Congress has taken a lead by finalising candidates for 15 out of the 21 seats in the state, the much- touted seat-sharing arrangement between the BJD and the BJP is still at the half-way mark. Inside sources in the BJD claimed that a broad agreement has been arrived at between the two, under which the BJD will be allotted 11 seats, leaving the remaining 10 seats to the BJP.

Despite such claims, the tussles between the two parties over five seats, which is said to hold up an agreement between them, show no signs of abating. "Both the sides are rigid in their stand to contest the same seats in coastal and western Orissa, thus holding up a deal,'' a senior BJD leader told Rediff On The Net.

The seats in question are Bolangir and Sambhalpur in western Orissa, Cuttack, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal and Bhadrak in coastal Orissa, which neither electoral partner wants to concede to the other.

While senior BJD leader A U Singhdeo, considered close to Navin Patnaik, is eyeing the Bolangir seat, the state BJP is in no mood to leave it to the BJD. "Last time BJP candidate Sangeeta Singhdeo was defeated by the Congress by a thin margin. Bolangir is our winning seat with or without the alliance," said a senior BJP leader.

Similar is the case with Sambhalpur seat.

The BJP has also demanded either of the twin cities, Bhubaneswar or Cuttack, in order to prove that its influence is not confined to only western Orissa. Besides, the party has two MLAs from the prestigious Cuttack and Bhubaneswar assembly constituencies.

Sources in the BJD said the leadership has decided not to yield an inch to the BJP leadership as far as seats in coastal Orissa were concerned. "Central Orissa is our stronghold that will prove our strength in the polls," party sources said.

Despite the heavy fog over the seat-sharing issue, BJD leaders are pinning their hopes on the central BJP leadership. "They told us categorically that they want to win four seats from Orissa, which we will ensure for them," a senior BJD leader, who is part of the discussions with the BJP, said.

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