No BJP member wants tie-up with BJD: Oram

BHUBANESWAR: Ruling out the possibility of an electoral alliance with the ruling BJD in the state, BJP president Nitin Gadkari  has cleared the confusion among the leaders and party cadres. While the State unit of the BJP is vehemently opposed to the idea of an alliance with the regional party, LK Advani’s silence on Naveen Patnaik Government on the issue of corruption during his recent Jan Chetana Yatra not only baffled the partymen but pained them, said a senior leader of party. In an emergent meeting, the core committee of the party headed by State BJP president Jual Oram decided to thwart any move by Advani for a possible alliance with the BJD. A message was conveyed to Central leadership that the State BJP will not accept any decision of electoral understanding with the ruling BJD in the next general elections. ‘Gadkari spoke the mind of the State BJP leaders,’ Oram said and asserted that the anti-corruption movement against the State Government will be intensified.  The party is united on the issue and not a single member of the BJP favours the idea of any alliance with the BJD, he added. Gadkari never supported the idea of an electoral alliance with the BJD and he made it clear when he launched the Bhrastachar Hatao Abhijan against the Naveen Patnaik Government here in February.  The BJP is making a serious efforts to reconsolidate its position and strengthen its organisational structure in areas where its position was weak during the period of alliance with the BJD. Any dilution in this effort will demoralise the cadres and weaken the party, he said. PYARI MOVES:  Speculation is rife that senior BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra has started negotiating with senior BJP leaders on the issue of electoral alliance and he has offered 35 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats to the BJP. Even as Mohapatra dismissed it saying there is no truth in it, some senior BJP leaders admit that talks are on with their Central leaders on the issue of alliance. Some BJP leaders are not opposed to the idea keeping the party’s interest in  Parliament.