The Hindu : National : BJD finalises seat-sharing pact with allies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 29, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

BJD finalises seat-sharing pact with allies

Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday gave final shape to its seat-sharing arrangement with the Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India.

Briefing journalists at his residence here, Mr. Patnaik said that out of the total 21 Lok Sabha constituencies his party will would contest in 18 and leave one seat each for the three parties. While the CPI (M) would contest in Sundargarh, the CPI in Jagatsinghpur and the NCP in Balasore.

Out of the 147 Assembly seats, the BJD would leave 17 seats for the three parties – eight for NCP, five for CPI and four for CPI (M) while fielding its own candidates in the remaining 130 segments.

The senior leaders of all three parties were present when Mr. Patnaik announced the seat- sharing arrangements. They announced that all the three parties would campaign jointly.

All the three parties had extended support to Mr. Patnaik when he faced a trust vote in the State Assembly on March 11. The trust vote was held after the Bharatiya Janata Party withdrew its support.

The BJP had pulled out of the government soon after the breaking of the alliance between the two parties over sharing of the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to contest the polls.

The four legislators of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had also supported Mr. Patnaik in proving majority in the Assembly.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National