Much ahead of the 2024 elections, the ruling BJD on Saturday started reorienting the organisation by training its district observers to strengthen its grassroots network.

While the buzz was on a proposed major reshuffling of the State Cabinet, the party seems to have prioritised organisational strength.

Party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had an hour-long interaction with district observers at the Naveen Niwas.

The three-day exercise is directed to further galvanise party workers, office-bearers and elected representatives who were jubilant over the party’s spectacular shows in the last panchayat and urban elections.

The whole focus of the orientation programme was on keeping women voters intact and drawing OBC voters to the party fold. While the party has given importance to women in the elections and the party forums, the youth leaders are also made active in the organisational bodies.

The BJD is attempting to woo more OBC voters as they comprise a large section of voters. This is in the context of opposition BJP and Congress time and again raising the OBC reservation issue to embarrass the ruling party. The BJD significantly nominated OBC candidates for 40% Zilla Parishad seats in the last polls.

The first day interaction marked orientation of observers from 16 districts. The next two days’ sessions would be equally crucial as the party’s rank and file is to be made battle-ready for the 2024 fight.

Some senior Ministers may be dropped to be in charge of the party in crucial districts where the opposition has an edge over the BJD.

Sources said the party wants to strengthen district organisations first and then would accommodate some youth leaders in charge of State Corporations; and ultimately, a major reshuffle in the State Cabinet would take place in the first or second week of May just before completion of the third year of the Naveen Patnaik Government’s fifth term. A similar exercise was undertaken in May 2017 eyeing the 2019 elections.