LS Polls 2024: Former NALCO CMD Tapan Chand joins BJP in election boost
The BJP is in talks with the ruling BJD for an alliance for assembly and parliamentary elections
- Mar 7, 2024,
- Updated Mar 7, 2024 12:15 PM IST
Ahead of the general elections, former NALCO CMD Tapan Chand joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state party office in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Chand has served in different public sector companies like Coal India, Vizag Steel, and Nalco. He joined the BJP inspired by the hard work and dedication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the nation. Besides him, retired Naval officers Bipin Mishra, Dinabandhu Sarangi, Ashok Mishra, and Ramesh Lenka, retired Air Force officers Krutibash Mishra and NK Mishra also joined the BJP, giving a boost to the party in the eastern state where it is trying to expand its footprint.
Meanwhile, the BJP is in talks with the ruling BJD for an alliance for assembly and parliamentary elections. The BJD, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, is likely to contest 13 Lok Sabha seats, while 8 will go for the BJP. The BJP, however, wants 9 Lok Sabha seats and 55 in the Odisha assembly polls, sources told India Today. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly seats.
Speaking on the alliance talks, Odisha Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said, "Yesterday, we had a high-level meeting in the party, under the chairmanship of party president Naveen Patnaik. We discussed all the aspects of the coming elections. We also discussed what is on the grapevine or what is in the media. The party decided unanimously that what is best in the interest of the state, the party should take a call on that. This was the general discussion we had."
The minister said Odisha was created linguistically in 1936 and in 2036, the state would complete 100 years. "We, in BJD, see, that by 2036 the youth of the state should be well-provided for so that they can take the state to the next level. That is what we say, with the interest of the state. Whatever decision the party makes, it will be keeping in view the interest of the state."
Ahead of the general elections, former NALCO CMD Tapan Chand joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state party office in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Chand has served in different public sector companies like Coal India, Vizag Steel, and Nalco. He joined the BJP inspired by the hard work and dedication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the nation. Besides him, retired Naval officers Bipin Mishra, Dinabandhu Sarangi, Ashok Mishra, and Ramesh Lenka, retired Air Force officers Krutibash Mishra and NK Mishra also joined the BJP, giving a boost to the party in the eastern state where it is trying to expand its footprint.
Meanwhile, the BJP is in talks with the ruling BJD for an alliance for assembly and parliamentary elections. The BJD, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, is likely to contest 13 Lok Sabha seats, while 8 will go for the BJP. The BJP, however, wants 9 Lok Sabha seats and 55 in the Odisha assembly polls, sources told India Today. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly seats.
Speaking on the alliance talks, Odisha Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said, "Yesterday, we had a high-level meeting in the party, under the chairmanship of party president Naveen Patnaik. We discussed all the aspects of the coming elections. We also discussed what is on the grapevine or what is in the media. The party decided unanimously that what is best in the interest of the state, the party should take a call on that. This was the general discussion we had."
The minister said Odisha was created linguistically in 1936 and in 2036, the state would complete 100 years. "We, in BJD, see, that by 2036 the youth of the state should be well-provided for so that they can take the state to the next level. That is what we say, with the interest of the state. Whatever decision the party makes, it will be keeping in view the interest of the state."