Bhubaneswar: BJP leaders from Orissa are waiting in New Delhi to hold seat-sharing talks with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of saffron party's central leadership, but Patnaik doesn't seem to have it on his agenda.

Before leaving for the national capital to attend chief ministers meeting on internal security, he said, "There is no programme, in this trip, of seat-sharing discussion for Parliament or Assembly polls with BJP leaders."

Patnaik, however, said he would attend NDA chief ministers meeting convened by senior BJP leader L K Advani.

Interestingly, members of BJP s core committee led by state president Suresh Pujari are in Delhi to hold talks on seat-sharing with him in the presence of central leaders.

"Since we want early finalisation of seats with BJD, we will discuss it with our central leadership. If possible the CM will be involved during his Delhi visit," Pujari said.

In the face of its poor show in recent urban local body and panchayat polls, BJP was apprehensive over maintaining the 4:3 ratio with BJD.

Both BJD and BJP had fought elections for assembly's 147 seats in 2004 in the 4:3 ratio. While BJD contested in 84 seats, the BJP was allotted 63 seats.

Similarly, when the BJP candidates were given nine Lok Sabha seats, the BJD candidates contested in 12 seats.

"We would like to maintain status quo this time too," Pujari said while the BJD camp was unlikely to go by the old formula of seat sharing.
Source : PTI