Samikhsya Bureau
An interesting match of slugfest is on the cards as a claim contest match between the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes on air day in and day out. Both the leaders riding high on the popularity of each, poll politics in Odisha, to this date, enjoys the center-stage in the country. The frequency of visits by Modi and the BJP president Amit Shah has in fact doubled the curiosity of political observers.
A strong Modi wave, says the BJP, sweeping Odisha is all likely to upset the poll prospects of ruling Biju Janata dal as Odisha goes for fourth and final phase of elections to the remaining six Lok Sabha and 41 Assembly seats on April 29.
However, opinions on the contrary also suggest that the incumbent government led by Naveen Patnaik in Odisha, in 2014, was the only regional party which withstood the all pervasive Modi wave and stunned the saffron camp by winning 20 of the 21 Lok sabha and 117 of the total 147 assembly seats.
The hustle bustle campaigning by all the three major political parties- the BJD, the BJP and the Congress comes to an end this evening to decide the fate of 398 candidates, 52 of them for the six Lok sabha seats.
The BJP believes strong undercurrent of ‘Modi wave’ and a high voltage campaign by Prime Minister Modi, President Amit Shah and several top party leaders in odisha will give the ruling BJD a tough fight. On the other hand, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is spearheading the party’s campaign single handedly and is very much optimistic to retain the power for the fifth time in a row since 2000 elections.
All eyes are on the election outcome in Odisha as there has been a remarkable shift in the electioneering of the ruling BJD from the Biju babu’s unfulfilled dreams to what the party has now projected as Naveen’s Odisha.
Political observers said since 2000 Assembly elections, the BJD campaign was mostly centered on the promise to fulfill the dreams of Biju Patnaik, the legendary personality and a household name in Odisha politics.
However, the 2019 elections, the Biju Patnaik legacy has taken a back seat in the electioneering and the central focus is on chief minister Naveen Patnaik with all advertisements, posters, slogan and public meetings focused on “Naveen’s Odisha, Naveen my family” and “conch symbol of BJD as Naveen’s symbol”, “Naveen, the identity of Odisha, Naveen’s family is Odisha family”.
The BJD supremo has also said that people of Odisha are his family and his high command, and his interest is the interest of 4.50 crore people of Odisha.
Travelling in a hi tech bus specially designed for electioneering, the BJD supremo has toured extensively covering almost all the constituencies and conducting a series of road shows seeking vote for both the Lok Sabha and assembly.
During the fourth and final phase of electioneering, while attacking the Centre and the BJP leaders for ignoring the plights of Odisha during the natural calamities and neglecting the state’s development, Patnaik has dropped a hint stating that BJD had already captured majority assembly seats to form the government.
He even went to the extent of inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing in ceremony in response to Modi’s remark that the exit of BJD is almost certain now and he would visit Odisha next to attend the swearing in ceremony of BJP.
Amid loud claims and calls for upsetting each others’ apple cart, Naveen Patnaik has demonstrated, for the first time, confidence on his party’s victory and thus giving an invitation to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the his (Naveen) swearing in as the chief minister for the fifth time. To which the PM has countered saying the ‘days for Naveen Patnaik in Odisha are over’.
