That the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) wants to get closer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been further evident from BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik supporting BJP Rajya Sabha candidate from Odisha former bureaucrat Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Earlier, the BJD supported NDA Lok Sabha candidate Om Birla.
Political observers now expect that Patnaik will take some other decisions that will strengthen the BJD-BJP closeness further.
This clearly shows the BJD has abandoned its longstanding policy of equidistance from the two national parties, the BJP and the Congress. This also confirms Naveen Patnaik’s statement in the last Niti Aayog meeting in New Delhi that he would pursue a policy of “give and take” in relation to the Central Government.
It is to be seen what the BJD will “take” from the BJP in exchange of “giving” its support for the latter’s candidates for Lok Saha Speaker and a Rajya Sabha seat.
Importantly, the BJD with its huge majority in the State Assembly could have filled up all the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats, for which by-lections will take place on June 25. And there were a number of aspirants in the BJD for this.
Patnaik’s “constructive support” stand towards the Modi Government at the Centre has, however, not been taken kindly by the Congress or other opponents of the BJD and the BJP. They alleged that Patnaik is appeasing the BJP for the fear of possible CBI actions against the State Government on some issues like the chit fund scam.
Meanwhile, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is an ex-IAS officer, formally joined the BJP at the party’s State headquarters here on Saturday in the presence of senior party leaders including State president Basanta Panda.
Vaishnaw, a 1993-Batch IAS officer, had resigned from service to join corporate sector after having an MBA degree at the Wharton School. He had served as district Collector of Cuttack and Baleswar. He had served under the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He is known to be close to Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.