Bhubaneswar: As the New Year-2024 sets the ball rolling for the upcoming general elections for Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly in next 120 days, the state’s principal Opposition party- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seems to have prepared a all together a fresh roadmap to face rivals in the electoral battlefield. The saffron party, which became the number two party in the state after 2019 general elections by securing 23 seats in Assembly and 8 seats in Lok Sabha, has however, carried the liability of being a “friendly” opposition. This time before the 2024 twin elections, the saffron party is eager to drop its “friendly opposition” tag and desperate to emerge as the real opposition and an alternative before the people.
The ruling regional party- Biju Janata Dal (BJD), headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, has all along supported the BJP in the centre and many times rescued the saffron party during the crisis. Though the BJD dropped the BJP from an electoral alliance in 2009, the regional party has been supporting the Central Government all along. Be it the demonetization policy or sending Ashwini Vaishnaw to Rajya Sabha, the BJD has supported Narendra Modi and his Home Minister Amit Shah.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, speculations were rife about a possible alliance between the two parties after the BJD particularly backed the BJP on the opposition’s no-confidence motion in Parliament in August, and the Delhi services bill that entails the creation of an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in the national capital.
This speculation was further fuelled by a one-on-one meeting between Amit Shah and Naveen Patnaik in August on the sidelines of official engagements. Both BJD and BJP leaders have praised each other. While Shri Shah on record said that Naveen was a popular chief minister for which he had been elected five times in a row, Naveen on his part gave 8 out of 10 marks to the Modi government.
However, when twin elections round the corner and the people of Odisha have developed an impression that both BJD and BJP were same and equal other than their party symbols, the saffron leaders feel it as a liability. Friendship with BJD has worked against the saffron party and therefore the BJP leaders are desperate to shun this “friendly” relation with the BJD. Even the Odisha BJP leaders have openly said that this “friendly” word is being spread by the BJD people in order to further push the BJP to darkness. With a friend tag, the BJP cannot evolve in the state and can never come to power in Odisha, many saffron leaders feel.
The BJP central leadership, however, has an issue. They find that BJD was the lone non-BJP party outside the NDA alliance, which is not part of the INDIA Bloc. The regional party was not with Congress or the left. Therefore, the BJD enjoyed a special place for the BJP central leaders. The BJP leaders expect that in time of crisis to form government at the Centre, the BJD may help Narendra Modi and Amit Shah combine.
However, they have now realized that the BJD has been taking political advantage in Odisha by keeping BJP as the younger brother. Now, things have undergone complete change in the national scenario. After winning polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP central leaders feel that there is no threat from the INDIA Bloc. They can come to power again in 2024 by “Modi Guarantee” slogan. If the BJP and its NDA partners are capable of returning to power in Delhi Durbar, what is the need to appease BJD and Naveen Patnaik? Therefore, the BJP decides to go hard on BJD and capture Odisha.
In another change in its strategy, the BJP has also announced that its priority was no more Lok sabha seats from Odisha rather the Assembly seats. So far, the BJP in subsequent elections, had focused on the Lok Sabha seats to form the government in Centre. This is for the first time that Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal has announced that the party’s focus in 2024 elections will be Odisha Assembly. “Once we are strong in assembly segments, the Lok Sabha seats can easily be won,” Shri Samal argued, which was also supported by the central leaders. The BJP central leaders now realize that they had earlier adopted a wrong strategy by focusing on the Lok Sabha seats.
The BJP has started looking at the next elections differently and decided to highlight Naveen Patnaik’s weaknesses. The saffron party has started attacking other leaders like VK Pandian instead of speaking against Naveen Patnaik, who has been ruling over the hearts of 4.5 crore people of Odisha. Even BJP’s Observer II for Odisha Vijay Singh Tomar raised questions on who is ruling the state. Though he did not take the name of Shri Pandian, his target was obvious.
On the other hand, Shri Pandian has emerged as the target of BJP because he is the lone leader who has been a major shield for the party. Nobody knows whether the BJP can break BJD’s women vote bank, but it is for sure that Shri Pandian has ensured that the BJP fails to take advantage of the Sri Ram temple issue in Odisha.
He has apparently snatched away the “Hindutva” agenda from BJP by transforming almost all places of worship cutting across religious lines.
Shree Jagannath Temple heritage Corridor is a major setback for the BJP. The BJP’s bid to get votes in name of Lord Rama may not be possible as Shri Pandian has successfully put Lord Jagannath issue before the people.
This apart, the BJD has also revived its central negligence slogan and also demand for a special category state status for calamity prone Odisha. The BJD has been trying to maintain and highlight its regional character in the ensuing elections.
Both the BJP and the BJD have adopted new strategies in the New Year. The next elections will tell whose strategies get people support.
