Is CM Naveen Patnaik losing grips on rural pockets, BJP’s gain may force Naveen to effect organisational changes, heads may roll!

admin 8 years ago 5 min read

BJP has already started calling it the beginning of the end of BJD rule in Odisha. In an unprecedented result, the party ruling at the Centre has performed exceptionally well in the just-concluded panchayat elections in the state.BJP has improved its tally by a whopping 850 per cent as compared with the 2012 elections. It has not just made major inroads into the areas of dominance of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD but it has also become the main opposition party, pushing Congress to the third position.The spectacular result of BJP in the panchayat elections has generated hope among the party leaders. Talking to India Today, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “This is a proof of the all-round growing support for BJP’s good governance at the Centre. It has generated hope among the states where BJP is not in power.”Asked the manner in which he looked at the panchayat election results, Naqvi said, “It will definitely have a major impact on the 2019 Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections. The result is a clear proof of what lies ahead in future. BJD’s downfall has started.”
Of the total 853 seats, BJP claims to have bagged 306 seats – an increase of 8.5 times as compared with its tally of just 36 seats in 2012. It has added 270 seats to its previous tally.
On the other hand, ruling BJD has won 460 seats as against its victory on 651 seats in 2012, losing 191. Congress has bagged just 66 seats against the 126 in the previous elections, losing 60.
Panchayat elections in Odisha were held in five phases. The last phase was held on February 21.
ZILA PARISHAD
BJP’s performance has been equally impressive in the zila parishads (ZPs). Of the total 30 zila parishads, BJP has won eight. It did not have any zila parishad in its kitty in the 2012 election.
BJD, on the other hand, has been successful in wielding control over 16 ZPs as against the 28 it had so far, losing 12. Congress, which ruled over two ZPs, too lost one. Result of five ZPs is not clear so far.
FACTORS BEHIND BJP’S SUCCESS
Talking to India Today last week, BJP national general secretary in charge of Odisha Arun Singh had expected the party’s final tally to be eight to nine times of the seats it had won in the 2012 panchayat polls. The final result has vindicated him.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, effective implementation of the Central Government schemes in the state and failure of Naveen Patnaik government in the last 17 years of its rule are the factors behind BJP’s unprecedented performance,” Singh said.He also credited BJP’s success to the efficiency and multi-fold increase in the party’s organisational structure.Singh claimed that the victory could have been better had BJD not indulged in “largescale violence and misuse of official machinery”. He alleged that a prominent BJP worker Bullu Pradhan was murdered by BJD in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Assembly constituency Hinjili on February 20.Singh further said, “Six BJP workers have been killed in the last week to ten days and several are hospitalised after sustaining injuries.”
Besides, the ballot papers were changed after voting, he alleged

The Factors :

https://twitter.com/ODISHAAFFAIRS/status/835001993856868352

BJP has made impressive gains in the ongoing panchayat elections in Odisha, stunning the ruling BJD and the main opposition Congress. The result has enthused the BJP leadership and cadres, who view it as a harbinger of the situation that would emerge in the next Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2019.Moreover, BJP leaders feel that far from damaging the party, as is being reported in a section of the media, demonetisation has only helped it. This may also be an indication in the ongoing Assembly elections in five states, including the most populous Uttar Pradesh.Panchayat elections in Odisha are being held in five phases till February 21. Of the 188 seats which went to polls in the first phase, BJP has claimed victory on 71 seats. It had won just 12 seats in the 2012 panchayat elections.On the other hand, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD has won 94 and Congress 9 seats.Of the total 853 seats, BJP had won merely 36 in the previous elections. As against this, BJD had registered victory on 651 and Congress on 128 seats.

WHAT IS BJP’s ODISHA UNIT HOPING
Talking to India Today, BJP national general secretary in charge of Odisha Arun Singh hoped that the party’s final tally would be eight to nine times of the seats it had won in the 2012 panchayat polls. This comes to around 300 of the total 853 seats.He alleged that the official machinery was being misused and the voters’ list had been tampered with. “Otherwise, BJP’s performance would have been even more impressive”, he said.A buoyant Arun Singh also claimed that going by the trend, BJP would form the government in the 2019 Assembly elections and drastically improve its tally also in the next Lok Sabha polls.Singh attributed BJP’s impressive performance to the following factors:
1. NAVEEN PATNAIK GOVERNMENT’S ‘FAILURE’ ON ADMINISTRATIVE FRONT
Arun Singh alleged that the BJD government in the state had failed on crucial fronts like water, electricity, health and housing. He said that even though Naveen Patnaik had been in power for the last 17 years, his government had failed to provide clean drinking water to the people. In the last couple of years, about 80 people have died of water-borne diseases, about 70 children have died in hospitals, 121 people have succumbed to Japanese fever and 150 farmers have committed suicide. He further alleged that electricity was not being provided for 24 hours anywhere in the state and a large number of villagers did not have pucca houses.
2. CORRUPTION
Singh alleged that massive corruption had taken place in ration cards and rations. “Massive corruption is taking place down to the block level”, he said.
3. BJP’S ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The senior BJP leader claimed that BJP had made major strides in the expansion of its organisational structure in the state. In the last couple of years, the party has created a structure from the earlier 451 to 999 blocks. The BJP’s presence has increased from one block per 100 booths to one block per 32 booths now.
Besides, Singh said, BJP had been resorting to agitations on a regular basis to raise local issues. “An agitation is held every month at the block level, once every three months at the district level and once every six months at the state level. Our approach to hold agitation is from down to top”, he said.
“With such a strategy”, Singh said, “we are 100 per cent sure of winning the next Assembly elections. The current result is an indicator of the same.”