Having succeeded in making people believe that it was pro-growth and zero tolerant on corruption, the BJD won elections for back-to-back four consecutive terms with its vote percentage rising in each new term.
In the first two terms, its main agenda was industrialisation and in the last two, it focused on development and myriad schemes for the poor and underprivileged to win vote. And, now when the lid is off the hollowness of its programmes, it has taken to hooliganism in the name of Odia-pride.
The supporters of the two parties are resorting to violence increasingly to overpower each other often with the sanction of their leaders and elected representatives in full public view to bring home the point of their support base and muscular strength. The BJP which is showing black flag protests in various parts of the State in front of the BJD Ministers is at the receiving end. Whether it is Baragarh, Angul or Boudh, the activists of the two parties were seen raining blows on each others, leading to tense situation.
Corruption, misrule and goondaism had touched an intolerable limit during the fag end of Congress rule in 1999 and the State people were fed up with the party and elected the BJD-BJP combine with high expectations. But it seems the two parties have belied the hopes.
Again the unpleasant era has been restored.
With the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, the party seeks to regain its strength in Odisha and steal the thunder out of the BJD sail in the 2019 polls. As a result, to face the BJD, it has grown hyper-active. While the BJD and BJP are arguing over complaint of Central neglect issue with confusing statistics, nonetheless it is clear to see the Centre is in a mode to tighten screw on Odisha.
The Congress, now licking its wound, is also set to seize upon the anti-incumbency against a scam-tainted BJD Government. While it has kept itself at arm’s length from the fights of the BJD and the BJP, the party is trying to consolidate its position by launching a scathing attack on the BJD over multiple issues. In the latest Mahanadi water row, the party has gained much mileage by managing to hold an all-party meet, thanks to the initiative of leader of Opposition (loP) Narasingha Mishra. It has been able to kill two birds with one stone; while on the one hand, it unveiled the arrogance of the BJD for skipping the meet, which was on expected line, on the other, it united the entire Opposition under one umbrella which could add to its strength to counter the ruling party.
The BJD, on the contrary, looks to be on the losing side by biting the bait of the Opposition. While it has lost restraint and thrown all ethics to wind by the provocation of the BJP, it has also been singled out in the Mahanadi issue. As the panchayat polls are drawing close and the parties are trying to reap rich dividends from the most sensitive issues, the BJD, blind of its success of the last 16 years, looks to be ensnared in the rivals’ game plans.
Posco is virtually dead; Vedanta a non-starter and most of the steel and aluminium plants are facing raw material crisis and all but have stopped operations. Agriculture scenario is equally pathetic with farmer suicides going unabated. The fate of many schemes to appease the poor also hangs in balance with Central funding getting reduced by the day. Against this backdrop, instead of trying to stem the rot, the BJD is lost in hysteria of silencing opponents by bloody fights which only taints its image.