Pradeep Pattanayak

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Chilika MLA, Prashant Jagdev took on the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) organisational secretary for his statement claiming that 10,000 aspirants have applied for BJD tickets. 

In his February 25 post on X, BJD’s organizational secretary Pranab Prakash Das stated that the party has received more than 10,000 applications for tickets for the 2024 general elections.

On Friday, Jagdev wryly termed them as ticking bombs and said they may explode at any time. 

Also Read: BJP, BJD alliance suspense: Talks hit stalemate or a big decision today?

“You must have known that the BJD has said that it has 10,000 aspirants. They are not aspirants. They are bombs. The BJD is now standing on 10,000 bombs. Resentment is brewing in every constituency. It may explode at any time. This has been a source of worry for the BJD,” said Jagdev, who was expelled from the BJD before joining the BJP. 
 
Commenting on the alliance buzz, he said, “In 2024, the BJP has strengthened its position in Odisha. People want a change. There is no substance in alliance talks and it has stemmed from the BJD.”

Responding to Jagdev’s statements, BJD MLA Sudhir Samal said, “We have never discussed anything about an alliance. Even at yesterday’s meeting, our discussion was on our roadmap to ensure a big victory in the upcoming elections. The meeting discussed poll strategies. District observers from 30 districts participated in the meeting.”

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  • JAGDISH DAS
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