No possibility of 3rd Front, BJD to go alone 2024 general elections

NEW DELHI: On a day Nitish Kumar met Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai for stitching together an united Opposition front against the BJP, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) would go it alone in the 2024 general elections.

The chief minister’s statement came after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Naveen told reporters that his party would also contest the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls alone. “That has always been the plan,” said Naveen, who is on a four-day visit to the national capital.

Naveen’s meeting with his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday led to speculation of consolidation of Opposition grouping. When asked about the possibility of the BJD being part of a possible Third Front against the BJP, the chief minister said, “Not as far as I am concerned. Not now.”

He also said he has no plans to meet any Opposition leaders during his stay in the capital. The BJD chief said that his discussions with PM Modi revolved around state-specific issues, especially the proposed airport at Puri. “In view of the heavy traffic in Bhubaneswar, we need an expansion. The PM assured me that he will help in every way possible,” said the CM.

Responding to his remarks, JD(U) sources told this newspaper that Naveen would maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Opposition front, hence it shouldn’t be construed as a setback to the Opposition coalition. “Their (Naveen and Nitish) friendship goes back to united Janata Dal days. After Tuesday’s meeting, Naveen’s position was that the BJD will maintain equidistance from both the BJP and Opposition parties. We are not attaching any significance to his meeting with PM Modi,” said sources.

Naveen has also recently met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which he termed as a courtesy call. Both leaders have denied talks of any Opposition alliance during the meeting. Since his exit from the NDA in 2008, the BJD chief has been maintaining equidistance from the Congress and the BJP. However, he is largely seen as supporting the BJP government in the passage of several crucial bills in Parliament in the past.