There are no secrets why Naveen Patnaik has achieved a spectacular fourth straight term in power in Odisha. Several pro-poor programmes implemented by his BJD Government and the absence of a strong Opposition are the broad reasons for the popular support to him as the Chief Minister for a record period of time.
The Biju Janata Dal, led by Patnaik won 117 of the 147 Assembly seats and 20 of the 21 lok Sabha seats in the State, conceding only 16 Assembly seats to the Congress, 10 to the BJP, one each to the CPI(M) and Samata Kranti Dal and two to Independents and the Sundargarh lS seat to the BJP’s Jual Oram.
The BJD’s vote share in the Assembly polls rose to 43.4 per cent while those of the Congress were 25.7 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. In the lok Sabha polls, the BJD got 44.1 per cent of the votes followed by the Congress’ 26 per cent and the BJP’s 21.5 per cent.
“Development programmes, welfare schemes, anti-poverty programmes, works for tribal people who constitute a quarter of our population and the transparent and clean Government given to Odisha have all contributed to the BJD doing so well,” Naveen Patnaik said.