Biju Janata Dal is celebrating its 20th foundation day on Tuesday at Puri with a grand function. As the regional outfit blows its election symbol conch from the citadel of state’s ruling deity Lord Jagannath, a political message emanates that the party headed by state’s four-term Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is all set to counter the Hindutva peddling of the Bharatiya Janata Party which is aspiring to capture Odisha in 2019 general elections. Patnaik had broken his decade-long alliance with the BJP because of Sangh Parivar’s alleged involvement in Kandhamal communal riot in 2008.
If Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited temples in Gujrat during the assembly elections, Naveen Patnaik having darshan at Sri Jagannath in Puri temple before the party programme is nothing to be surprised at. Of Course he will also visit his father late Biju Patnaik’s memorial at Puri’s Swargdwar crematorium as his party is named after his legendary father. On December 26, 1997, BJD had been formed under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik who along with senior leaders of Janta Dal had broken away from parent party to form a regional party to have alliance with the BJP.
BJD of Odisha and AIADMK of Tamil Nadu are two ruling regional parties named after their leaders. BJD was named after former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik while the AIADMK was named after late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Anna Durai. But the younger BJD has seen a continuous successful existence almost from its inception when majority supporters of Biju Patnaik broke away from Janta Dal under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, a new entrant to politics.
It happened a few months after Biju’s death and Naveen winning the Lok Sabha byelection from Aska. BJD and BJP formed alliance and fought 1998 Lok Sabha polls under Naveen’s leadership in Odisha and had a landslide victory. Since then, it has been continuous victory for BJD in the state till date. While BJD-BJP alliance won 1998, 1999 and 2004 Lok Sabha elections together, getting 21 seats in the state, BJD alone has won highest number of Lok Sabha seats in 2009 and 2014 even after breaking alliance with the BJP. The same was the case in all assembly elections held since 2000. There were four assembly elections till 2014. Naveen won the first two with the help of allies while the BJD single-handedly tasted victory in the next two. During last two decades of electoral politics, BJD reversed the national trend. In 2004, Vajpayee-led NDA was ousted from power in Centre while in Odisha, BJD-BJP front won both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Though there was no alliance in 2009 and the Congress-led UPA came to power at the Centre for the second time, in Odisha BJD alone got maximum seats in both Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. Interestingly, after breaking away from BJP, Naveen got more seats in both 2009 and 2014 assembly elections than what the alliance had got earlier. In 2014 also, when the whole country supported Narendra Modi-led BJP, it was completely reverse in Odisha. BJD not only got 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats, a record achievement with main opposition Congress becoming zero, it also got more seats in assembly.
So, by and large it has been a very successful journey for BJD during last two decades with continuous victories in five Lok Sabha and four assembly elections; something most political parties of country should be envious about. The party has its uniqueness because from day one it was led by a novice. Though the Doon School educated author-turned politician had inherited his father’s rich legacy, it is said Naveen Patnaik is perhaps the only second generation leader of country who had not been groomed by family for a career in politics. His father Biju Patnaik had all along kept his family in Delhi away from Odisha. That was the reason when Naveen was drafted into politics by the then Janta Dal leaders in Delhi and Odisha to contest from his father’s vacant seat he could not speak Odia. It may be strange that during twenty years he has always depended upon a written speech of Odia in roman script. Critics have failed to put him in difficulty in this front as the allegation has not influenced voters’ mind. BJD has remained a leader-centric party fully dependent on Naveen Patnaik’s charisma who has gone out of his colossus father’s shadow .
Though mild mannered and soft spoken, Naveen proved to be decisive and strong when indiscipline and corruption cropped up in the party and government. In 2001 just one year after he became the chief minister, Naveen sacked three important ministers as they were ‘under the shadow of corruption’ according to him. That was described as the first such instance in country. He has thrown out indisciplined and corrupt leaders from party and government at different times. The same streak was found when he sacked the senior-most leader Dr Damodar Rout from state cabinet and post of party vice president as well as other organisational assignments this week for making anti-Brahmin statements. The chief minister made it clear later saying “I strongly disapprove of anyone who makes derogatory remarks against any caste, creed or religion.”
After Kandhamal communal riot in 2008 when there were attacks on minority Christians allegedly at the behest of Sangh supporters, Naveen broke alliance with the BJP. Despite the 'Mr Clean' image of Naveen, there have been issues of corruption against his party and government. In the mining scam case, he got a reprieve from the Supreme Court which declined the demand for a CBI probe and said the mine owners will pay fines for the illegal extraction, and it will give a few thousands of crores of rupees to state’s revenue.
But in the chit fund scam, being enquired by by CBI as per the Supreme Court order, some BJD leaders are under scanner and one MP and two MLAs have already been arrested. Initially, BJD took action against those leaders. But lately party has followed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee by saying that BJP is using CBI for political purpose to put BJD leaders in difficulty.
Unlike his father, who was always active at national level, Naveen and his party have confined themselves to Odisha’s interest though it has its importance at national level. At present BJD is fourth largest opposition party in Lok Sabha next to Congress, AIADMK and TMC and its leader in parliament Bhartruhari Mahtab has a seat in front row of Lok Sabha and he is the second Odsha politician to have that privilege other than Biju Patnaik. Naveen has always said he doesn’t have any national ambition and will concentrate in Odisha though there has been speculation that he can be the prime ministerial candidate of the third front. Though Odisha had a few regional parties earlier founded by senior leaders including Biju Patnaik, none had the spectacular success BJD had. BJD is the first regional party in state to have its own government. As far as governance and development are concerned Odisha had sharpest fall in poverty during Naveen Patnaik regime and it is now a high growth state. From Re 1 per kg rice for poor to Rs 5 per meal in 'Aahar' food canteens in towns to various other welfare schemes—including free medicines and recently announced free dialysis—the state government has expanded its welfare programmes to cater to all sections besides thrust on infrastructure and industrial development.
However, farmers' distress and unemployment among educated youth continue to be a challenge for the government. In western Odisha, where the farmers' distress is more intense than in other parts of the state, BJD suffered a setback in last Panchayat election in which the BJP made much progress. A byelection is going to be held in Bijepur assembly seat in Bargarh district. In the Panchayat polls BJP pushed opposition Congress to third position and reduced the BJD’s strength, giving an impression that in 2019, BJP will be a major threat to BJD.
During the last few months, Naveen has been very active and trying to revamp administration and government. The leader, who never holds press conference, has been giving bites and interview to select newspapers on the eve of party’s twentieth year celebration. BJD has been maintaining equi-distance from both Congress and BJP and the chief minister has ruled out alliance with any of them in the next election. BJD has always alleged of central neglect of Odisha. For last few months it has been trying to corner the BJP and the NDA on Mahanadi and Polavaram. The first is on Chhattisgarh BJP government building dams on upper Mahanadi that has reduced water flow to Odisha while the second is construction of Polavaram dam in Andhra Pradesh. BJD opposes both the projects as it feels Odisha's interest is affected. On farmers' issue BJD has been demanding increase in minimum support price for paddy which the Centre has not agreed.
The 71-year-old bachelor politician will complete 18th year in the gaddi of chief minister on March 5, 2018 and his party wants to leave no stone unturned to give him a fifth term despite BJP national President Amit Shah’s hope of a BJP government in the state next time.
