At least 15 persons died in the course of the 2017 panchayat elections in Odisha. The Chief Minister’s constituency was also not spared from violence and murder. The ruling BJD had a reduced number though it garnered a majority of the Zilla Parishad zones. It lost about 180 ZP seats compared to 2012. The BJD had 473, the BJP 297 and the Congress 60 seats. The BJP’s gain was beyond the expectation of the party’s leadership. The Congress reduced from 128 to 60. On an average, 50 per cent loss was attributable to the Congress. The BJP increased its number from 36 to 297. The BJD had 651 seats in 2012 and was reduced to 473 in 2017. The percentage of increase in the BJP’s gains has been a morale booster for this party.
The BJD, which enjoys a massive majority in the Assembly, could not retain its hold on the Zilla Parishads at a commensurate level. This reduction and the accompanying disenchantment on the part of the voters have obviously caused immense tension to the ruling party. This, in turn, demonstrated itself in the intolerance leading to violence in many areas. There is an element of apathy on the part of the law and order authorities in containing the situation when the BJD is involved in any violent activity. Popular disenchantment against the incumbent party has been amply demonstrated through the increased shift of votes in the BJP’s favour. If this trend continues, the BJD is likely to face loss of seats in the general elections. The shift in favour of the BJP throws it up as the “alternate” and signals decline of the hold of the Congress. It is natural for analysts to say the BJP has gained from both BJD and Congress pocket boroughs. The increase in the BJP’s strength is well-demonstrated through the sprout of its lotus in newer areas. The BJP has also gained out of the rejection of the Congress, which could only control the Jharsuguda ZP. It is almost certain that in the coming five years, eight Zilla Parishads will be fully controlled by the BJP. In 15 districts, including the eight it has clearly won, the BJP has galloped in its strength.
The BJD supremo has very naturally seen danger signals in the drastic decline of the party’s hold at the ZP level. The inevitable question would relate to the reasons behind the changed scenario in the voting pattern in 2017. There is an obvious disenchantment at the grassroots level, and the propaganda machinery of BJD has not been able to persuade the voters, including a significant number of youths, to vote for the party. The BJD lost around 180 ZP zones. The BJP in effect gained out of the shift of votes from the BJD and the Congress.
In 14 districts, the Congress’ plight has been demonstrated. There are clear indicators of serious lack of support at the grassroots for the Congress as the party got no seats in Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Keonjhar, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Sambalpur and Subarnapur.
The scenario is ominous for the Congress and throws up danger signals even for the ruling BJD. The BJP’s morale is naturally upbeat with the feeling that it is being seen as a feasible “alternate” to the BJD. The voting pattern of the youth power has also significantly shifted in the BJP’s favour. The Congress has to be concerned because its survival has been threatened. The factor that queered the BJD’s pitch is the lack of proper governance at the ground level in the respective areas. The BJD supremo has indicated that the MlAs concerned have to take the responsibility of the losses in their areas. This exercise may lead to some shuffling in the Cabinet.
The massive mandate in favour of the BJD in the last Assembly and Parliament elections has not stood to the benefit of the BJD. The connect with the masses, including the youth power, has not been adequate so as to turn things in favour of the BJD. It is but natural for the ruling party to be concerned, but the reasons are not far off to find. The impact at the rural level has not been up to the mark. The peasant community has faced quite a few problems resulting in distress sale of their products. Hundreds have died because of crop failure and rural indebtedness on the part of the farmers. There was an element of arrogance on the part of the ruling party which alienated the voters including the newly-added youth power into its fold. Obviously, the majority of voters did find a disconnect between the programmes as professed and their implementation at the grassroots levels. Promises have not been translated into real performances. Welfare schemes stood neglected. Rampant land acquisition caused serious disturbance amongst the rural folk. One can imagine the distress: the Hirakud rehabilitation schemes have not yielded adequate results. A cumulative effect of all this demonstrated itself in the disenchantment of voters including the youth power in the context of the ruling party.
w Amidst all this, there has been an avoidable controversy regarding the Prime Minister Modi’s reference to the rampant poverty, unemployment and economic distress among a majority of the population of Odisha. Our MlAs feel that the State has been insulted and referred to in a denigrating manner by calling it “poorest amongst the poor”. This is an unpleasant truth that the Prime Minister has exposed. All parties are responsible for this predicament of the State. Instead of demanding an apology from Prime Minister Modi, our political leaders need to do a deep introspection and identify the reasons for which our State has continued to be poor after so many years of Independence. It is the degrading poverty and the increased hiatus between the rich and the poor in the State that have led to the social tensions at the ground level. We need a resolute leadership to cause structural changes at the grassroots so as to ensure that we do not continue to suffer the ignominy and the curse of poverty. Instead of demanding an apology from the Prime Minister, it should be the resolute actions of all political parties to see Odisha out of the vicious trap of poverty. This requires proper leadership at the grassroots level and a motivated youth force so as to cause a paradigm change in the agro-rural sector. Coming two years have to be well-utilised for eradication of poverty in the State coupled with distributive justice. This requires concerted efforts on the part of the youth power and calls for involvement of one and all in the State so that there is a shift towards a well-distributed prosperity. No section of the society can remain isolated and insulated from this clarion call. All are to be involved. And surely, this concerns us all!
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor, a former President of Orissa High Court Bar Association and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)