Odisha Panchayat Poll 2017: BJP’s Vote raise is a gift not deliberate

Lambodar Prasad Dash

On 22^nd February, 2017, one day after Panchayat Election and a few hours before the beginning of Budget season Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik patting his party MLAs at the Legislative Party Meeting advised not to dishearten and increase relation with the grass root voters. On the other hand, replying to the media, he said, he can give comment only after 25^th February, only after the official declaration of the results (!). These words send an alarm to opposition parties and others who are happy with the decreasing seats of BJD. Could BJD revive after this blow? Anything can happen in Politics, but it is relative to the situations which is unforeseen.

In the last article “Odisha Panchayat Poll 2017: BJD bleeds, BJP sucks, congress stucks” in pointed out how both BJD and BJP getting benefit from the weakness of the state congress party. Now I again am reiterating my opinion with a relative truth. In future, If Congress could revive, both the parties will suffer.

Let’s have looked into these election figures, in 2007 Panchayat Election, BJP and BJP were in a coalition government but choose a friendly fight. Consequently, BJD had secured 345 seats, Congress 303 seats, and BJP 129 seats. BJD had a majority in 15 districts, Congress had formed 11 Zilla Parishads with an absolute majority, BJP retains only two (Baragarh and Deogarh).

In 2012 panchayat election, BJD turned away from BJP, with whom it shared power for almost 9 years and fought independently. BJD got thumping result, it had made fresh inroads into congress and BJP territories like Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Dhenkanal and seven other districts. It had captured 27 Zilla Parishads. BJP could not able to form a single Zilla Parishad. Similarly, Congress which had Presidents in 11 Zilla Parishads in 2007 has got a majority in Jharsuguda, Koraput and Kandhamal districts.

In 2012, BJD got whooping 651 ZP seats, while Congress lost almost 177 seats to BJD. BJP reduced to 36. Even Independent candidates did well than BJP, in total, they got 38 seats.

(Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik with BJP Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, During a Swatchha Bharat Event-File Photo

In a recent poll, BJP’s has performed well in Angul, Bolangir, Baragarh, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Khordha, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanja, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Sundergarh. Most of the districts except khordha, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Dhenkanal are in Western Odisha. Western Odisha always regarded as stronghold of BJP, even national party leaders gave more focus on it during the 2014 general and assembly election. Almost all MLAs are from western parts. Before the Panchayat Election BJD already smelled its defeat in these parts, as its gimmick on Mahanadi Water dispute failed drastically. But BJPs remarkable performance in Kendrapara, which is regarded as BJD’s castle, Malkangiri, which was once strong hold of Congress and Khordha where no other parties except BJD has its presence is noteworthy.

Even though Bijaya Mahapatra, the brain behind BJD and Naveen Patnaik’s ace opponent is now with BJP, yet Local Leaders alleged that BJD’s recent defeat in Kendrapara is due to BJD MP Baijayant Jay Panda. It is said that he himself recommended to BJP 4 names for Zilla Parishad and all were elected. BJD captured Malkangiri from Congress but recently it lost peoples support due State government’s apathetic attitude towards (Japani encephalitis) JE deaths. Khrodha is politically sensitive as it is capital district and since 2000 BJD never lost a single election here. The lost is due to growing goondaism of BJD MLAs like Prashant Jagadev, and unworthy performance of MP Prasanna Patshani, popularly called as Chicken Baba among political satirists. Defeat in Dhenkanal , many believed that due to the political indifference of the BJD MP Tathagat Satpathy.

Naveen Patnaik with Baijayant Jay Panda and Tathagat Satpathy- File Photo

Prasanna Patashani (MP, Khrodha), Baijayant Panda (MP, Kendrapara) and Tathagata Satpathy (MP, Dhenkanal) are many times ostracized for their antiparty stance. But people’s support to BJP during the Panchayat election is like a gift but not deliberate.