The Bharatiya Janata Party will unnecessarily shoulder the burden of anti-incumbency accrued from 24 years of Biju Janata Dal rule despite the saffron party putting in blood, sweat, and tears to rebuild itself after the 2009 break-up, said party workers voicing concerns over reported alliance negotiation.
Despite sources from both the BJP and BJD indicating significant progress in alliance negotiations, to the extent that a return seems difficult, grassroots cadres are still struggling to come to terms with this reality.
Political experts in Odisha suggested that the statements from State BJP president Manmohan Samal, as well as election co-in charges Vijaypal Singh Tomar and Lata Usendi, claiming ignorance about alliance talks might simply be an effort to moderate the growing discontent among the grassroots level cadres. All these BJP leaders said there was preparation to fight the election alone.
