Will the resounding poll successes of the BJP have a positive electoral bearing in Odisha for the saffron party? Will Prime Minister Modi’s magic pave the way for the erosion of the vote bank of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, firmly ensconced in the citadel of power since 2000? Banking on the success of ‘Brand Modi’, will the Odisha unit of BJP be able to reenergize the cadres to upset Patnaik’s victorious applecart?
These are the pertinent points that came into the spotlight in the wake of the saffron party’s overwhelming poll victories in Rajasthan, MP, and Chhattisgarh even as the state BJP here has gone on an overdrive claiming that the twin victories of the party are nothing but a precursor to the party’s victory in the coastal state in 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
It’s worth mentioning here that the BJP on ascendancy replaced Congress and emerged as the principal Opposition party in the state assembly in 2019. The party more than doubled its tally in 2019 by winning 23 Assembly seats from 10 seats in 2014.
While the ruling BJD and the Opposition Congress claimed that BJP’s poll victories in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh will have little impact on the people of the state, the state BJP president Manmohan Samal claimed that people have made up their mind to vote for the BJP. He said the voters are disillusioned with the prolonged misrule of the BJD.
People here are impressed by PM Modi’s governance model and his love for Odisha, Samal asserted.
He rubbished the well-entrenched perception that the BJD has an excellent relationship with the BJP and the two are together at the Central level. He alleged that the BJD was fuelling such speculations to check the BJP’s growth in the state. They (the BJD) are scared of the BJP as it could eat into their ‘anti-Congress’ space. They, therefore, want to create confusion in the voters.
Samal asserted that the BJP would form the government at the Centre and Odisha in 2024 as well as the other states.
Welcoming the mandate in the assembly elections, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said people voted for development and progress. They endorsed the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.
Another Union minister, Bisweshwar Tudu, a member of the Lok Sabha from Odisha, exuded confidence about BJP’s prospects in the state. He predicted that the people of Odisha would vote for the BJP in 2024 and defeat the BJD.
BJP’s MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi also spoke on the same lines saying the people of the state have decided to dump the ‘corrupt’ BJD Government. The latest election results vindicate PM Narendra Modi’s corruption-free governance in the country. It is going to have a big impact on Odisha.
The strategy adopted in Chhattisgarh will be repeated in Odisha to ensure victory claimed BJP leaders. We share borders and several Odia people live and work in Chhattisgarh, they say.
CM Naveen Patnaik is no match to PM Narendra Modi, remarked BJP MP Pratap Sarangi while predicting BJP’s victory in the forthcoming elections in Odisha.
BJP National Vice-President Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda said he gauged the support for the party among Odia people residing in neighboring Chhattisgarh and the massive victory there will have a large impact on the elections in Odisha.
Political circles here observed that the BJP would gain the upper hand and bargain hard with the BJD to maintain their relationship. The BJD has all along supported the Central government and Naveen Patnaik had praised PM Modi giving him eight out of ten. He had specifically mentioned less corruption and the success of the foreign policy as two aspects that made him give such a score.
The state BJP leadership has always struggled to get over the public perception of being ‘soft’ towards the BJD.
In their reactions to election results, the BJD leaders insisted that there would be no impact of the results in Odisha.
The people of Odisha have unwavering faith and trust in CM Patnaik. They have voted for him five times and he will win for the sixth record term, noted BJD leaders.