Bhubaneswar: For the first time, after 25 years of BJD’s governance, the people of Odisha have voted for the double-engine govt of BJP to power and are heading to form the government in the state with a full majority.
Starting from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and all the leaders of the party have declared that BJP will form the government from the beginning. BJP came down to the election field with the issues of Odia Asmita, Odisha’s glory, Odia language, Odia pride and Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath’s treasure ‘Ratna Bhandar and the people of Odisha extended support.
Breaking the 5-time winning streak of the BJD party, the BJP candidates outclassed the competitors adding a new chapter in the history of Odisha politics. BJP has never formed a government in Odisha alone. In the 2000 and 2004 elections, the BJD and BJP were allies. Before the 2009 elections, BJD Supremo Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik broke the alliance and successfully contested the 2009, 2014 and 2019 elections.
This time, however, the BJP has made it clear from the beginning of the battle that it will replace the BJD government and come to power. The Prime Minister himself said that he could see a big change in Odisha in his every meeting and that change has happened in Odisha today with the outcome of poll results. The people of Odisha have rejected the BJD government of 25 years for the first time. As per the ECI, out of 147 seats alone, the BJP is leading in about 78 seats and the BJD in 51 while Congress is leading in 14, CPI in one and independent candidates in three assembly seats.
The situation has become such that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who was undefeated in the election, has himself lost. Like the last time, the Chief Minister was contesting from two seats. He was contesting from his home turf Hinjili seat along with the Kantabanji seat of Bolangir district. Surprisingly, BJP candidate Laxman Bagh defeated the Chief Minister in Kantbanji.
The BJP won 23 seats in the Assembly in 2019. After the demise of one MLA, the BJP lost that seat in the by-election. While there were 22 BJP MLAs in the 16th State Legislative Assembly, the number of BJD MLAs was 112. However, the people of Odisha have shattered all the assumptions of political analysts by restricting BJD MLAs to 51.
BJP has registered a landslide victory in Odisha this time. This victory of the BJP is beyond the political expectations and estimates. It is pertinent to mention here that while campaigning in the state, the Prime Minister said that June 4 is the expiry date of the BJD government.
Big win in Lok Sabha Elections: In Odisha, not only in the Assembly but also in the Lok Sabha, the BJP has won big. In 19 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, BJP candidates are leading, while BJD & Congress are leading in one seat each.
In the 2019 elections, BJD won 12 Lok Sabha seats and BJP got 8 seats while Congress won one seat. This time BJP alone is leading in 19 seats. BJP’s leap from 8 to 19 MPs is now being attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity which made the Lotus of BJP bloom in Odisha for the first time.
Who will be the Chief Minister of BJP?
According to the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJD government has ‘expired’ today, June 4. After two days, the BJP will nominate its Chief Minister on June 6 and an Odisha-born, odia-talking CM will take oath on June 10.
As BJP is going to form the government in Odisha for the first time, the names of some heavyweights including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, BJP State President Manmohan Samal, former Union Minister and MP Pratap Sarangi are in talks. But all these leaders are contesting the Lok Sabha elections and leading from their seats and considering the tight race for numbers, the BJP might surprise with a different chief minister candidate.
Speculations are rife that just as in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP will appoint an MLA who is not in the limelight as the Chief Minister of Odisha.
Taking to X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Odisha for the BJP’s resounding victory in the twin polls and promised that his party would leave no stone unturned to fulfil the dreams of people and take Odisha to new heights of progress. He also thanked the hardworking party workers for their efforts.
