Is BJD Anticipating Hung Parliament in 2024? Naveen Patnaik’s Tacit Hint

Bhubaneswar: After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Thursday that his party is not going to join the third front or a common political platform of non-BJP parties.

He also stated that the BJD will fight it on its own in the next Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls in Odisha in 2024. He also ruled out any meeting with other political leaders during his trip to Delhi

On Wednesday, JDU head and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Naveen Patnaik. All were anticipating that both leaders will have some talks on opposition unity. But after the meeting, both leaders declared that they had no political decision.

From the above, it is clear that the BJD supremo wants to enhance the importance of his party by remaining detached from any political alliance ahead of the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. According to political sources, BJD wants to play the role of a key political catalyst in national politics after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.  This can only happen if the BJD maintains distance from the BJP, Congress and the united opposition other than the Congress.

Importance of a nonaligned regional party like will increase if there is a hung parliament in 2024. Any political front aspiring to grab power will have to request for the support of the BJD. So, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is not showing up his cards before the elections.

So, Naveen Patnaik is reluctant to give any statements regarding BJD’s political stance after the 2024 polls. After meeting the PM, he said “Our discussion was mainly related to the demands of Odisha. I spoke to the Prime Minister about the proposed Jagannath International Airport in Puri for which the boundary has already been earmarked.” he said.

“We want an expansion as the Bhubaneswar airport is witnessing too much traffic. The Prime Minister said that he will definitely help in every possible way,” the Chief Minister added.