CPI's D Raja says his party, CPM, JMM and Congress in talks to form alliance in Odisha; details of seat-sharing to be finalised soon

Bhubaneswar: Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D Raja said Sunday that his party, the Communist Party of India (Communist), the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress are in talks to form an alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state. Raja made the announcement while addressing a party meeting in Bhubaneswar. “The CPI, CPI(M), JMM and Congress are talking to each other to form an allaince to take on both the BJD and the BJP,” he told reporter in Bhubaneswar. [caption id=“attachment_6103241” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of CPI leader D Raja. PTI[/caption] “We have had a meeting in this regard with the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik and a meeting for seat sharing with the Congress will be held very soon,” Raja said. Patnaik confirmed Raja’s statement and said, “Yes, we will soon form an alliance. The Congress has been talking to the CPI, the CPM and the JMM for seat-sharing.” “The details of the seat-sharing arrangement is yet to be finalised,” he said. The state has 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly seats. Sources in the Congress said the party could keep three Lok Sabha seats and 20 Assembly seats for alliance partners. CPI National Council member Ramakrushna Panda said the party has proposed to field its candidates in 12 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats. CPI sources said the party may field its candidates in the Aska and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats. The CPM also held talks with the Congress and sought at least one Lok Sabha seat and about seven Assembly seats, sources in Left party said. JMM supremo Sibu Soren, who visited Baripada in Mayurbhanj district recently, had also said that his party would take a decision soon, on the possible alliance with the Congress in Odisha. The JMM has been asking for Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat and at least five Assembly seats in Odisha, party sources said.