Congress to Contest Odisha Panchayat Polls Alone, No Tie‑Up With BJD
Bhubaneswar, April 28: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee has categorically ruled out any alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the upcoming panchayat, zilla parishad, and municipal elections.
Party president Bhakta Charan Das stated that Congress will contest independently, reflecting grassroots sentiment and internal strategy.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the Rajya Sabha cross‑voting episode, where Congress supported BJD candidate Dr Datteswar Hota, but BJP‑backed Independent Dilip Ray won due to cross‑voting by MLAs from both Congress and BJD.
The fallout from this incident has strained ties between the two parties.
Meanwhile, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya clarified that the BJD never discussed alliances with Congress and will also contest local polls independently.
Das added that while local elections will be fought solo, any alliance for assembly elections would depend on directives from the party high command.
