In the 2014 lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned mainly in the western Odisha region. The BJP’s total vote share enhanced to 21.88 per cent level only due to absence of party organisation. The BJP won Sundargarh lS seat, lost marginally in Bargarh and Sambalpur and stood second in the lS seats of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Baleswar, Dhenkanal, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Bhubaneswar.
After assuming power at the Center, the BJP continued its focus on Odisha. The party gave two Union Ministries to the State. later, the party made another Odia, Draupadi Murmu, the Governor of Jharkhand. Besides politicians, numerous Odia bureaucrats were given top posts in the Union Government. It developed a pro-BJP environment in Odisha.
The party continued to nurture its western Odisha base with priority and brought coastal Odisha under its focus. The post-poll days witnessed Prime Minister’s visit to Paradip, Bargarh, Baleswar and Puri. Apart from the Prime Minister, various Union Ministers continued to visit the State to give a message that the BJP is concerned about Odisha. The forthcoming national executive body meeting of the BJP is a step forward in consolidating BJP foothold in Odisha. BJP national president and poll strategist Amit Shah contributed significantly to the development of Odisha strategy. He visited the State three times before the 2017 rural poll. As party president, his maiden visit to Odisha was on January 6, 2015 to address the Maha Sangram rally of the party workers at Bhubaneswar. Here, he criticised the Congress rule in the country and spared BJD from attack. This was misunderstood by some senior leaders like Bijay Mohaptara who were impatient. Shah knew that there is no point in hitting at the State ruling party in absence of party organisation. This visit of Shah was a turning point for the party when he advised the State unit to complete the membership drive and fill up all the organisational posts from the grass roots up to the State unit. A Zila Parishad constituency was chosen as the lowest party unit, called the Mandal Unit, having its committees and wings. Neither the BJD nor the INC had any such organization at the micro-level. The party election took place from the Manadal to the District and the State unit. The party choose Nuapada MlA Basanta Panda as its State president while putting the outgoing president KV Singh Deo as the Floor leader of BJP in the State Assembly. Hence, there was clear focus on western Odisha. The party also gave prominence to the younger leaders in the State and the district teams to attract the young voters. This change was significant in the State organisation too. A few leaders were unable to understand the changed strategy and rebelled, eventually to feel happy after the 2017 poll results.
Saha visited the State for the second time in November 2016 to address the party cadres on 2017 panchayat polls. He was vocal against the ruling BJD this time and gave a call to the party cadres to show results what he considered as semi-final before 2019 poll. His third visit to the State was in January 2017, when he met the State committee and reviewed the poll preparedness.
The national president took another major step in the State organisation. He projected Dharmendra Pradhan as the overall leader of the State to coordinate between the State and the Centre. It was necessary for the coastal voters to see an alternative figure to Naveen Patnaik. Perhaps Saha knew that the voters of Odisha could not move towards Congress in the past due to vacuum of a CM candidate. It is interesting to note the party has never declared Pradhan as CM candidate but the public perception and the Opposition made him a popular figure of State BJP. It helped the party in the ZP polls. Pradhan’s contribution to the re-emergence of the State BJP was steady. After assuming the most responsible Petroleum Ministry, he allotted time for Odisha. The one- time MlA and MP from Odisha, worked with the Union Government departments to ensure that the funds for the Nabakalebar ceremony are allotted and the infrastructural development gets completed in time. The second task for Pradhan was to inaugurate the oil refinery at Paradip which was making sluggish progress during the UPA days. He succeeded in his efforts. The third responsibility for him was to popularise the free-gas cylinder Ujjwala scheme and expand the cooking gas connectivity in Odisha. All these works helped BJP in its rise.
The stand of Pradhan on Mahanadi issue was consistent and was in favour of a dialogue. But his position was not accepted by certain leaders of his party. Finally, the Chhattisgarh CM took the same stand during the rural poll campaigns. Perhaps, the negotiation-stand was accepted by the people of western Odisha, as evident from the rural poll results.
Besides, Pradhan made his role felt during various problem periods of the State Government such as the additional rice-supply issue under NFSA or the kerosene supply issue or the IIM in Sambalpur or the Odia language issue in medical entrance test and so on. He is also seen working for establishment of the High Court bench in western Odisha. Pradhan’s personal respect for leaders of other parties fetched benefit for the State BJP. He attended the late lulu Mohapatra of Congress during his sickness and brought the sympathy of the lulu followers. He also visited the late Pyarimohan Mohapatra during his ailing period to show his concern. Besides, he was showing his personal attention to the awardees of the reality shows or the Padma awardees of Odisha. His efforts have made the Union Government allot money for centenary celebration of Paika Mutiny.
The State team also performed its role as key opposition adding to the popularity of the BJP. While the BJP MlAs were busy in criticising the State Government inside the Assembly, the State BJP mounted its attack on the ruling party on day to day basis either in media or on streets.
This kind of day to day attack system was not prevalent earlier in Odisha. Sometimes, they had to compete with the State Congress in this regard. When the State Congress got infested with squabbles, the public sympathy went in favour of BJP. The young leaders were more acceptable to young voters. Sometimes, Pradhan used to support the State unit in mounting lethal attack on the ruling BJD. It worked.
last but not the least, the November demonetisation drive of the Prime Minister helped the State BJP in the rural polls.
Thus BJP’s good show in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi and Balangir areas are no sudden surprise but a follow-up of the 2014 lS poll test where the party had finished second. The party has to examine why it did not perform in other areas.
