With Orissa set to witness simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls, the decision on an alliance between Biju Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party would be taken soon, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Monday.
"A realistic picture of the scenario will emerge soon," Patnaik told media-persons in reply to a query about the delay in
the seat-sharing between the two partners. With two rounds of talks between the ruling coalition partners failing to yield any result, uncertainty prevails over the alliance. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata P Rajya Sabha member Chandan Mitra has rushed to Bhubhaneshwar to hold discussions with Patnaik.
Uncertainty over the alliance surfaced when some BJD leaders showed reluctance in giving the BJP seats for the Lok
Sabh and assembly polls along the ratio agreed to way back in 1998 when the coalition was formed.
The two parties had entered into an alliance before the 1998 general elections and the adjustment of seats for both
Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections on 4:3 ratio.
While BJD headed by Naveen Patnaik had last time contested on 12 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, BJP was given 9
seats based on the formula.
For the state assembly polls, BJD candidates contested on 84 seats while the BJP put up candidates on 63 seats.
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