After battle lines are drawn following the announcement of no alliance between the BJP and the BJD, both parties have intensified their preparations for the 2024 elections.

On Sunday, BJP State president Manmohan Samal said his party has made a blueprint to give a check to the BJD in the twin Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and nobody can stop it from forming government in the State this time.

“We have apprised every details about our planning to the top leaders of our party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah and convinced them that the State unit is capable enough to remove the 24-year-old BJD government this time,” Samal told reporters upon his arrival here from New Delhi.

On Saturday, the BJP conducted a crucial meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) in Delhi. Samal said the CEC took stock of the poll preparation of the Odisha unit.

BJP sources said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is likely to contest from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat while party national spokespersons Sambit Patra and Aparajita Sarangi will fight from Puri and Bhubaneswar, respectively.

BJD sources said party general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das would contest from Sambalpur to give a check to Dharmendra Pradhan. Similarly, former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik is most likely to be fielded against Sambit Patra in Puri. It is not yet known as to who would fight against BJP’s firebrand leader Aparajita Sarangi in Bhubaneswar.