By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar , January 21, 2019: With 2019 elections ahead, political polarization seems to have begun in Odisha with two fringe political parties launching a front to oust the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Samata Kranti Dal headed by former union minister Braja Kishore Tripathy and Utkal Bharat led by former MP Kharavel Swain announced formation of the new political front Odisha Democratic Front.

The two ex-MPs said the new political front aimed at defeating BJD in the coming Lok Sabha and state assembly election and announced to field candidates in all the 147 assembly seats in the state.

Claiming that the BJD government has made Odisha poor during its 18 year-long rule, they said the Odisha Democratic Front will emerge as an alternative.

Meanwhile, several former leaders of BJD, BJP and Congress are working out plans to take on both the BJD and BJP and the broad front may enter into alliance with Congress, a former minister in Naveen Patnaik government said.

Both Tripathy and Swain were optimistic that all anti-BJD leaders will come forward and fight together to defeat the Naveen Government in the upcoming elections.

Tripathy had been elected MP twice and was a cabinet minister in the Atla Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre after being elected on BJD ticket from Puri Lok Sabha seat in 1999.

He had resigned from BJD in 2009 and joined BJP before launching his own party – the Samata Kranti Dal in 2013.

Swain was also elected MP twice, including once from Balasore on BJP ticket.