Naveen Patnaik's BJD set to join Third Front

In the backdrop of splitting 11-year-old BJD-BJP alliance in Orissa, a new political equation is due to emerge as the ruling Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal may officially announce tying up a pre-poll alliance with CPM today.

On Sunday, the CPM and BJD entered a pre-poll alliance after Left leader and politburo member Sitaram Yechury met Patnaik. This apart, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik may also officially announce joining the Third Front as its constituents CPI, NCP and JMM will also join the new alliance. However, both Patnaik and Yechuri indicated that the issue of BJD joining a third front would be formalized after the polls.

Patnaik’s government, which was reduced to minority after BJP snapped ties with the BJD, can only be survived with the support of third front MLAs. BJD with its 61 MLAs still needs the support 13 more MLAs to reach the magical figure of 74 in the 147-member Assembly seats to salvage the government.

Chances for the Patnaik government to win the floor test is still there as four MLAs, one each from the CPM, CPI, and two of the NCP, four from JMM, seven Independents have vowed to support the ruling BJD. The figure thus shows BJD will have the requisite number in the assembly to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly to be held on Wednesday.

The Orissa Governor, M C Bhandare asked the chief minister, whose government reduced to minority on Saturday night following the withdrawal of support of the BJP, to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly on Wednesday. On Saturday, BJP and BJD parted ways after their seat-sharing talks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections failed.

“There will be a vote of confidence in the state assembly on March 11 during a special session," Patnaik told reporters after meeting the governor on Sunday morning along with 58 of the 61 BJD legislators. He was also accompanied by 3 of the 4 JMM members, 2 NCP, 1 from CPM and CPI each, and 7 Independents.

‘We have the support of 78 legislators. A few from BJP are also ready to support us on the floor of the House,’ claimed a senior BJD leader.

Meanwhile, NCP, JD (S), Left parties are all set to make BJD a part of the secular Third Front. Left leader Sitaram Yechury, who is in Orissa, will hold talks with Patnaik in this regard. Former prime minister and JD (S) chief H D Deve Gowda has already invited the Orissa CM to be a part of the Third Front. NCP chief Pawar also said his party would like to contest the assembly and parliamentary elections in the state jointly with the BJD once the talks with the latter got confirmed.

Meanwhile accusing BJD for the breach of alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party, which has strength of 30 MLAs, has announced that it will contest single-handed all 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly seats in Orissa.