Bracing for the 2019 Assembly poll battle in Odisha, the BJP feels that it has “broken the back of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s rural base” in the recently held local elections and that the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was on the losing track in the elections slated two years from now.
“They have lost considerable ground in the villages and in the urban areas we will beat them this time round,” said BJP’s general secretary and in-charge of Odisha Arun Singh.
BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, however, does not agree with BJP’s claim saying the party is still sitting pretty on over 95 Assembly seats of the 147.
The victory of the BJP in eight districts, particularly in Bargarh (47.85 per cent vote), Kalhandi (49 per cent) and Mayurbhanj (43.29), has encouraged it to step up its campaign against the Patnaik Government which has ruled the State for 17 years without a break.
“There is also growing resentment in the BJD and faith on Naveen Patnaik is fast receding. BJD leaders are speaking in different languages and directions,” said Singh. The BJP leader’s comment has come in the backdrop of war of words between two prominent BJD leaders — party MP from Dhenkanal, Tathagata Satpathy and Baijayant Jay Panda, the MP from Kendrapara.
Ahead of the BJP’s National Executive meet in Bhubaneswar on April 15-16 aimed at consolidating its position in the State, the ruling BJD fears a likely split within the party allegedly orchestrated by the BJP.
Satpathy has alleged in a series of tweets that the BJP is ‘trying to divide the ruling party in Odisha the AIADMK way and hold an early election in the State. Without naming Panda, Satpathy alluded that the former was helping BJP in its attempt to split the BJD. Panda had in an article blamed the top BJD leadership of not attending to the problems in the party.
BJP general secretary maintains that the increased vote share in the local polls is indicative enough of the future things to come for the BJD. He said the BJP decided to go alone in the elections and thus increased its vote share from 18.5 (in 2014 Assembly polls) to 34 per cent now in the local polls, “tightening its grip over the rural Odisha”.
Kumar said failure of the BJD Government is amply reflected the way self-help groups misused Government funding with many turning “sahukar” (money lenders) and lending money on interest in rural regions.
The BJP leader said his party created massive awareness on the issue, organising one party programme in each month on the problems of villagers at each mandal and district and State level. “We highlighted the problems and thus focused on failure of the Patnaik Government,” said Singh.