Fuelled by Patnaik, schemes, BJD on course as BJP banks on Modi, changes plank to close gap

“We have good schemes for women, elderly people and youngsters. Naveen (Patnaik) babu has taken care of us very well,” says Sharat Kanar, a resident of Kadligarh village in Sambalpur district, who would be the first-time voter in the simultaneous Odisha Assembly (147 seats) and Lok Sabha (21 seats) elections beginning May 13.

“It’s true that more needs to be done to provide jobs to youths because many of us have to migrate from Odisha. So we have to give one more chance to Modi at the Centre but for Odisha Naveen babu is just fine,” says Kanar, making his choices clear.

At Charichhak in Boudh district, Duryodhan Sahu, who runs a small eatery, praises Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik for providing people free rice and ensuring healthcare facilities under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). “We are ‘sankha’ people (supporters of conch, BJD’s symbol),” he says, smiling. Krishnachandra Sahu, who runs a common service centre nearby, agrees with him, saying, “Sankha has become a habit for Odias.”

The BJP’s task thus seems to be cut out in Odisha even as it is mounting a high-voltage campaign to challenge the BJD, which has been ruling the state for five terms continuously since 2000.

The elections have become more exciting following the collapse of talks between the two parties for a revival of their alliance for the 2024 polls barely one-and-a-half months ago. A resurgent BJP appears to be confident of capitalising on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity to boost its prospects in the state. However, the party faces an uphill challenge in weaning away voters from the spell of the five-time CM Patnaik, who despite his health concerns is eyeing his sixth straight term. While there seems to be a desire for a