Bhubaneswar, Mar 7: A group of senior leaders from Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) left for New Delhi on Thursday evening to meet top leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), amid a buzz that the two parties are likely to revive their alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls.

According to sources, BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, 5T chairman VK Pandian and other senior leaders left for the national capital on a special flight this evening.

Although there was no formal announcement regarding a pre-poll alliance between the BJD and BJP in Odisha, leaders from both parties on Wednesday hinted towards a mutual tie-up before the general elections.

“Biju Janata Dal will prioritise the greater interests of the people of Odisha and the State. Yes, there were discussions on the issue of alliance,” BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra told reporters last evening soon after a marathon meeting at Naveen Niwas, the residence of BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, here.

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On the other hand, senior BJP leaders from Odisha also met party's national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Wednesday over the party's poll strategy in the State.

Senior BJP leader and MP Jual Oram, after the meeting presided over by Nadda in Delhi, confirmed discussions on a pre-poll alliance in Odisha. However, he said that the final decision rests with the party's central leadership.

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 147 Assembly constituencies. The BJD and the BJP won 12 and eight Lok Sabha seats and 112 and 23 Assembly seats respectively in 2019.

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