As the BJP-led government in Odisha completes its first year in office, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has said that his government has fulfilled half of the 21 promises made ahead of last year’s elections.
Keen to showcase its performance, the BJP is emphasising its achievements, having formed a government in the state for the first time. What adds to the pressure is the party’s effort to create a distinct identity, moving away from the long shadow of the Naveen Patnaik era. Patnaik, the former BJD supremo, governed the state for 24 years.
Majhi highlighted that his government took four 'historic' cabinet decisions within just 24 minutes, signalling what he described as a faster pace of governance, making an oblique reference to Naveen's 24 years.
These included reopening all four gates of the Jagannath Temple in Puri to allow full access to devotees, launching the Subhadra Yojana for women’s empowerment, creating a Rs 500 crore corpus fund for the temple’s development and approving a bonus of Rs 800 per quintal for paddy farmers.
The Chief Minister is seeking to build a people-friendly image and accessible leader, in contrast to the popular but reserved Patnaik. While the BJD leader was widely credited with transforming a state plagued by natural calamities and poor human development indices, his unexpected defeat has ushered in a new political phase.
The BJD is attempting to reposition itself as a credible opposition. The party, once seen as close to the BJP at the Centre, has faced electoral setbacks and now seeks to regain lost ground. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced a Janajagaran Yatra aimed at 'exposing the failures' of the BJP government. Though the BJD retains a strong organisational base, it now faces the challenge of maintaining unity among competing factions.
The political vacuum created by Patnaik’s exit has also led to a modest revival of the Congress in the state, as it tries to re-establish itself in the opposition space.
The Majhi government claims to have launched new initiatives impacting women, students, and farmers. It is also working on a long-term vision with the launch of Mission 2036, marking 100 years of Odisha’s formation, and Mission 2047, aligned with India’s centenary of independence. Chief Minister Majhi is expected to receive a boost from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit the state on June 20 to mark the government’s first anniversary. As part of his outreach, Majhi is also expected to tour all assembly constituencies across the state.
