By D.N. Singh
The election climate in Odisha is absolutely free from any joint campaign environment and each party seems pedalling his own fate to the future. Mainly, the most discussed ruling party, the Biju Janata Dal, has in fact no star cast at all. It is, as it was, going to be a one-man enactment where things may revolve around the elderly Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister, and a few youthful images this time and some fresh faces those who had jumped from other parties.
And the real fight is between two only: Naveen Patnaik and others. While the Bharatiya Janata Party enjoys the firepower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi coupled with the high-octane electoral vitriol, what is different this time for the Congress is an jubilant Rahul Gandhi emboldened by the presence of his sister Priyanka who is likely to play a proactive role this time. That must make Patnaik a bit apprehensive and do some shuffling in candidates here and there. By changing candidates both for the Lok sabha and assembly he must ensure the dividend.
Going by the chatters in the grapevine, Patnaik plans to effect a major change in Ganjam district where he may field two heavyweights and field two who came from the Congress. For the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat former senior Congress leader and union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahoo is likely to replace the Odia cine-actor Siddharth Mohapatra, the present MP. Actor or no actor, all in the BJD sail though one buoy i.e Patnaik, so the loss of Mohapatra is immaterial for the BJD.
As such, there are about half a dozen faces from the tinsel world in Naveen’s political backyard but none matters except him. Similarly, it is being rumoured that he may even replace some tainted young leaders who may diminish than boost the party’s hopes in their constituencies.
With the BJP having not declared officially any candidate for the chief minister in Odisha, it has to depend heavily on Modi’s charisma and now has to plan a strategy built around Patnaik’s welfare schemes.
