The potential alliance between the BJP and the BJD is yet to materialise in Odisha even as parties gear up for the ensuing elections.

The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD seems to be in a pole position to win the upcoming contest even if it decides to fight alone. With 112 seats in the Assembly and 12 in Lok Sabha seats it enjoys a strong base across the state.

Despite speculations about the anti-incumbency factor kicking in after 24 years of uninterrupted rule by Naveen, it seems more likely than not that the BJD can still get a comfortable majority on its own.

“We are well prepared to contest the election. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is going to become the chief minister for the sixth time consecutively in a row. Our preparations for the election began soon after the 2019 election results were announced. We are confident we will win more than 100 seats. Several applicants have applied for the tickets,” said former minister and senior BJD MLA Nrusingha Charan Sahu.

The party also maintained that there was no decline in Naveen’s popularity, which, in fact, has remained almost undented over the last 24 years with the government launching a string of measures for almost every section of the population.

Sources said this could well be the reason why the party is insisting on contesting more than 100 Assembly seats in the event of alliance with the saffron party whose leaders are reluctant to accept the positions. The BJD, though, couldn't care less.

The Opposition seems to be banking on the anti-incumbency factor and issues such as deteriorating law and order situation, irregularities in paddy procurement, rising unemployment, corruption, chit fund and mining scam.

The BJP fancies its chances of forming a government solely on the strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and the groundwork it has done across Odisha. The party has already prepared its list of probable candidates for different constituencies. The BJP cadres appeared enthused by Union minister Amit Shah's statement "we are fully prepared" for the election.

However, the harsh reality is that the party has to do a lot of groundwork before it can bring itself into a position from where it can challenge the Naveen regime if alliance talks fail. The contest in Odisha is bound to be triangular with Congress working hard to revive its fortunes.