During a recent visit to Jajpur on March 5 to inaugurate central projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lauded Naveen Patnaik as a "popular CM".

Following a series of negotiations that failed to materialise into an alliance, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are now pursuing separate paths in Odisha. However, the erstwhile allies don’t seem to be in a mood for a friendly fight.

During a recent visit to Jajpur on March 5 to inaugurate central projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Naveen Patnaik as a “popular CM” and extolled the legacy of his late father, former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. This sparked speculation of an impending alliance between the BJP and the BJD. Although negotiations for a seat-sharing arrangement happened, they ultimately fell through, leading the BJP to opt for a solo fight.

In approximately 50 percent of the Lok Sabha constituencies, both parties are pitting strong candidates against each other dispelling any notion of a cordial contest.

For instance, in Puri, the BJD has nominated former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik to contest against BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra. In the 2019 elections, Patnaik, a native of Puri, ran for the Bhubaneswar seat but was defeated by the BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi by 23,839 votes. Patra, contesting from Puri, lost to the BJD’s Pinaki Misra by 11,714 votes. This time, the BJD has replaced Misra, a four-time MP.

Puri holds significant sentimental value for the state, with the BJD clinching victory in five out of seven assembly segments within the Puri Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, while the BJP secured the remaining two seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJD secured 12 out of 21 seats in Odisha, commanding a vote share of 43.32 percent, while the BJP won 8 seats with a vote share of 38.88 percent. The Congress, with a vote share of 13.99 percent, won only one seat.

Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Nabarangpur, and Berhampur are expected to see tough fights between BJP and BJD candidates.

In Sambalpur, situated in western Odisha, the BJD has nominated its organisational secretary and Jajpur MLA, Pranab Prakash Das, to challenge Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In 2019, the seat was won by the BJP”s Nitesh Ganga Deb, who was denied a ticket this time. Out of the seven assembly seats in the Sambalpur parliamentary constituency, the BJD secured four seats, while the BJP won three in 2019.

Bhubaneswar is another battleground poised for a high-stakes clash. The contest here is between the incumbent MP, Aparajita Sarangi of the BJP, and the BJD’s debutant candidate, Manmath Routray. Despite Sarangi”s victory in 2019, Bhubaneswar is considered a stronghold for the BJD.

Manmath Routray, a commercial pilot, is the son of Suresh Routray, a Congress stalwart and incumbent MLA from Odisha’s Jatani assembly seat, which is part of the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency. Suresh Routray, who has won the Jatani assembly seat six times, has resigned from all Congress committees following his son”s affiliation with the BJD. Despite retaining his Congress membership, political analysts speculate that Suresh Routray”s influence, dating back to his victory on a Janata Party ticket in 1977, will bolster his son”s campaign.

Kendrapara will also see a riveting showdown between the BJD’s Anshuman Mohanty, a former Congress MLA who switched sides in February, and the BJP’s Baijayant Panda. In the previous election, Panda faced defeat against Odia actor and BJD candidate Anubhav Mohanty.

Kendrapara stands as a formidable bastion for the BJD, as evidenced by the party”s sweep of all seven assembly seats within this Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.

Despite Panda’s setback in Kendrapara during the last election, his prominence within the BJP has surged over the past five years. Elevated to the position of national vice president, he was entrusted with the role of Uttar Pradesh in-charge for the state elections.

Meanwhile, in Berhampur, the BJP has nominated Pradeep Panigrahy, once a close aide to CM Patnaik and now his vocal critic, to challenge the BJD’s Chandra Sekhar Sahu. Panigrahy, the incumbent MLA from Gopalpur, formerly entrusted with handling matters in the CM’s assembly seat, Hinjili, was expelled from the BJD in 2020 over “anti-people activities” and subsequently arrested by state authorities in connection with an alleged job fraud case.

Joining the BJP in February, his candidacy adds intrigue to the electoral dynamics, particularly given that a portion of Patnaik’s home district, Ganjam, falls within the Berhampur parliamentary constituency.

Once hailed as the BJP’s trusted ally in the NDA, the alliance disintegrated in 2009 following failed seat-sharing negotiations. The breakdown was officially attributed to the BJD’s demand for a reduction in the BJP’s share of assembly seats from 63 to around 40, and parliamentary seats from nine to six.

This demand, considered unreasonable by BJP leaders, prompted the withdrawal of support to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s government, marking the demise of an 11-year political partnership. The withdrawal of support was labelled by the BJD as an “act of betrayal”.

In Odisha, the Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls will be held simultaneously over four phases, starting May 13.