Bhubaneswar: Raising the ongoing speculations yet again, BJP state unit president Manmohan Samal said that he has not spoken a word on a coalition with BJD, and the final decision on the matter rests with the national BJP president. He returned to Bhubaneswar today after meeting national leaders in New Delhi on Thursday.
During his recent interactions with the media at the BJP party office in the afternoon, he clarified that, ‘After returning from New Delhi today, I have been talking to reporters in my capacity. My words cannot be viewed as the BJP’s views.’ He accused the media of distorting his views, saying, ‘I have not said anything on the BJD’s entry into the NDA. It is the media that has been speculating on this issue.’
Further, Samal added, ‘Any decision on the issue of coalition with BJD will be taken by the national leadership, and I will accept it as a loyal member of the party. At the local level, we can only discuss the party’s election strategy in Odisha and give our suggestions to the national leadership.’
In the recent turn of events, Samal has declined any possibility of a coalition between BJP and BJD, but counteracting his own words after returning from New Delhi today, Samal said, ‘Everything is progressing well and we are in the process.’ Again contradicting his own words, he commented that ‘The BJP will fight the elections in Odisha alone and form the government,’ further adding, ‘I have not said anything on the coalition with BJD and the media is fabricating stories.’
Till now, neither BJP nor BJD have given any statements regarding the coalition. It is yet to be found out what turn Odisha Politics would take and where this political wind would blow.”
