Odisha CM in Catch-22 over President pick
An a “natural ally” of the BJP in the past, the regional Biju Janata Dal (BJD) — headed by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik — is now in a Catch-22 situation whether or not to support the saffron party in the Presidential elections.
Bracketed by BJP in the same category as Trinamul Congress and Janata Dal as its immediate target enemies, the BJD is in fact in dilemma if it would be wise to go with the NDA sponsored candidate or UPA supported nominee.
The BJD, ever since its formation in 1997, has been a staunch rival of the Congress that ruled the state for three decades after the Independence. In 1998, the BJD and BJP had entered into an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls to defeat the Congress. The alliance continued in 2000 Assembly elections and both the parties successfully voted the Congress out of power and formed the coalition government.
However, things went astray in 2009 when the regional party, having been doubly sure about its strengthened base at the grassroots, kicked the BJP out of the alliance dubbing it “communal.”
With the Congress gradually becoming irrelevant in the state current politics, especially after finishing a poor third in the rural polls, the BJD is now directly pitted against the BJP for the 2019 big confrontations.
The BJP registered unprecedented success in the recently held rural polls in which it emerged second.
The BJD, according to political analysts, fears that if it join hands with TMC and JD(U) to support a non-BJP sponsored candidate, it might further invite the wrath of the BJP that has public announced to put all the tainted and corrupt BJD leaders behind bars.
As many as three senior BJD leaders were earlier arrested in the multi-crore chit fund scam.