Cong loss is no longer BJD gain in Odisha
Mass exodus from Congress, BJD to join BJP causes anxiety to Naveen
Anywhere in the country, the loss of the Congress’ vote share has very often benefited the BJP. It was also happening so in Odisha for nearly two decades, bringing cheers to the ruling BJD leaders. But things are changing fast now in the state — the same Congress loss is turning to be a major headache for the regional party.
The Congress voters are no longer shifting their allegiance to the BJD.
Instead, they are seen preferring to jump to the BJP bandwagon as the saffron party is making steady progress in the state since 2014.
After the breakup of the BJD-BJP alliance in 2009, it was expected that the Congress would reap rich dividends out of the political turmoil and do better in the Assembly elections. However, surprisingly, the benefit did not go to the party. The grand old party’s vote share in 2009 Assembly polls slumped to 29 per cent from 35 per cent in 2004, enabling the BJD to improve its tally from 61 seats to 103 seats in the 147member state Assembly.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, the Congress fortune further nose-dived to 26 per cent, ensuring a mammoth victory of the BJD despite strong antiincumbency wind sweeping across the state. The regional outfit led by Naveen Patnaik proved all poll pundits wrong by winning 117 seats.
Post-poll analysis revealed the Congress voters went for BJD following disintegration of the party’s state outfit because of recurrent and intense internal bickering among the factional satraps.
As the BJD was predicted to repeat the same electoral successes in the 2017 rural polls, the third largest electoral exercise after the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the party leaders were taken aback when the ballot boxes were opened and votes were counted. The swing of the Congress voters had this time happened in favour of the BJP.
The message for the BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik was now much loud and clear: The loss of Congress is no longer a gain of BJD.
What has stung Naveen most in recent times is mass exodus of the Congress and BJD leaders to BJP, indicating that BJD no longer enjoys the trust and confidence of the turncoats.