Sources said that moves are afoot to bring like-minded secular forces under one umbrella to fight the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State. The visit to Delhi by senior Janata Dal leader and former minister Nalini Kanta Mahanty has fuelled speculations to this effect. Mahanty has reportedly roped in former Union minister and senior Janata Dal leader Srikant Jena in support of his latest endeavour.

Mahanty's latest move has assumed significance in view of the bitter infighting in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and attempts to sideline Bijay Mahapatra, the chairman of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the regional outfit.

According to sources, the dissident camp in the BJD and Mahanty are in constant touch. A prominent BJD leader said if steps are not taken to patch up differencesbetween the BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and Mahapatra, a new political alignment will emerge within a couple of weeks.

The BJD rebels are now biding time to strike back following the suspension of six grassroot workers from Ersama, Jagatsinghpur and Salepur. Mahapatra, sources close to him revealed, is highly peeved over the style of functioning of the BJD leadership.

The PAC of the party headed by Mahapatra has almost become defunct and he has been repeatedly bypassed by the leadership on important issues. Mahapatra was not consulted in the formation of the State executive and the KBK monitoring cell of the BJD. Political observers believe that Mahapatra is only waiting for an opportune moment before making his next move.

Mahanty is also not happy in the Janata Dal after it split and is reportedly toying with the idea of floating a regional outfit.

However, a section in the BJD led by senior legislator Sugnani Kumari Deo is still of a patch-up between BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and Mahapatra.