Along with the spectacular results in the Assembly elections, the Biju Janata Dal (BHD) has also achieved its best-ever performance in the lok Sabha polls bagging as many as 20 of the total 21 seats in the State.
But BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik’s expectation to play a major role in the formation of the Government at the Centre has suffered a drubbing in view of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) staggering majority to have its regime without support from the regional outfits like the BJD in Odisha or the Jayalalithaa-headed AIDMK in Tamil Nadu.
Under the circumstances, according to political observers, Patnaik has reasons to be worried over the Supreme Court’s recent order for a CBI inquiry into the mega chit fund scam in the State and the possibility of another CBI probe to be ordered by the apex court into the bigger scam of mining of iron ore and manganese that has been haunting his Government over the few years.
As per reports after the polling for the general elections was over, Patnaik had sent feelers to the BJP through his emissaries that his BJD was willing to have a tie-up with the NDA after the poll results were declared.
Patnaik had perhaps expected that the NDA would fall short of an absolute majority at the Centre, for which it would depend on the BJD, and in such a situation he would strike a deal with it with a public posture that the BJD’s support to the NDA was in the “larger interests of Odisha”. This stand had already been made public by BJD leaders like Pravat Tripathy, obviously with Patnaik’s approval.
But now in the changed situation when the NDA absolutely needs no support from the BJD, Patnaik has little relevance for the new Central disposition. Furthermore, his oft-repeated charge that the BJP is a “communal” party and Narendra Modi “not acceptable” as Prime Minister would prompt the BJP high command not to have any soft corner for Patnaik, observers feel.