Bhubaneswar, March 8 -- With the recent posturing of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeping everyone guessing about a possible alliance, the Congress in the state has been in an upbeat mood. The Congress sees an opportunity to rise from the third position to the main Opposition party in case there is an alliance between the BJP and the BJD.

In the 2019 Odisha Assembly election, 48 percent of votes were polled against the BJD. Of them, 32 percent of votes went to the BJP, and the rest 16 percent to the Congress. The Congress won nine Assembly seats and in 31 seats, it secured second position and in 20 seats, it gave its competitors a run for their money. At the same time, it came out victorious in the Korap...