Odisha Elections: BJD Going Strong; All Eyes on PM’s Visit

March 5 is the date on which the legendary leader from Odisha, Biju Patnaik, was born. Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal supporters must be burning midnight oil to commemorate the day as the 108th birth anniversary of the late Biju Babu.

What a coincidence that March 5, 2024, holds significance as on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to reach Odisha when it is expected that the PM may abandon some thrills politically.

One that he may announce the Highest Civilian Award, ‘Bharat Ratna’for the late Biju Patnaik posthumously. That is perhaps a step to keep the BJD in good humour, signalling a rejuvenation of the old ‘warm’ relations between the BJD and the Modi-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

There is also a buzz in political circles that the PM may possibly call for a possible mutual understanding between both the parties for the mega election in 2024 when Odisha faces both the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Political analysts watching the BJD war-room exercises believe that the last panchayat elections held in 2022 were a yardstick for the 2024 general election.

In the 2022 panchayat polls, the BJD almost stole the show by polling 55% votes, winning as many as 765 Zilla Parishad (ZP) seats of the 852 seats that went to polls in the five phases of the panchayat elections.

That was nothing less than a steamrolling of BJP, which could win only 43 ZP seats.  

Incidentally, March 5 is Panchayat Raj Diwas. 

Taking the 2022 feat in rural polls as an indicator, some analysts in the state feel that this time, the BJD would improve upon its last performance by winning at least 130 Assembly seats in the House of 147. All fingers in the BJD and the BJP camp remain crossed before what the PM says.    

The writer is an independent journalist.